Warren Buffett Says He's A Democrat, Would Have 'No Trouble' Voting For Bloomberg, Expresses Sympathy For Sanders

Berkshire Hathaway chairman Warren Buffett said Monday that he would have "no trouble" voting for fellow billionaire Michael Bloomberg and said he is sympathetic to Bernie Sanders' ideology.

“I don’t think another billionaire supporting him would be the best thing to announce. But sure, I would have no trouble voting for Mike Bloomberg,” Buffett said in an interview on CNBC.

Bloomberg has spent over $450 million on advertisements since he announced his presidential run in November, with his campaign focused on moderate policies. Bloomberg has been attacked for his massive campaign spending, with some competitors accusing him of “buying the election.”

Buffett also added positive words about Sanders, who is currently the frontrunner for the Democratic nomination.

“I’m very much in sympathy with the fact that Sen. Sanders believes that a lot of people are getting left behind and through no fault of their own," Buffett said. “And there’s all kinds of aspects of capitalism that need, in some ways, to be regulated. But I don’t believe in giving up the capitalist system.”

Sanders, a self-proclaimed “democratic socialist,” has called for government policies that would reduce wealth inequality in the United States. He has frequently criticized the role of billionaires in the economy and in politics.

“I’m a Democrat, but I’m not a card-carrying Democrat,” Buffett said. The legendary investor voted for Hillary Clinton during the 2016 elections.

In a February 2019 annual letter to Berkshire Hathaway shareholders, Buffett made a veiled swipe at President Trump for taking too much credit for U.S. economic growth.

“It is beyond arrogance for American businesses or individuals to boast that they have ‘done it alone’,” Buffett wrote. He added that the U.S. should "rejoice" when other nations have bright economic futures, a contrast to Trump's zero-sum trade beliefs.

Buffett, 89, is arguably the most successful investor of all-time and is worth roughly $88 billion, according to Forbes. Berkshire Hathaway owns many prominent U.S. firms, such as Geico Insurance, Dairy Queen and Duracell batteries. He has committed to giving away 99% of his fortune to philanthropic causes.