Trump "Short Height" Bloomberg "Fake Hair"

Super Bowl Sparks Personal Attacks Among Billionaires
They Clash with Expensive TV Ads in a Battle of Insults
Subtle Rivalry Emerges Ahead of Gapbukkari Presidential Election

Former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg
[Photo by Reuters Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy New York=Correspondent Baek Jong-min] Billionaire and U.S. presidential candidate President Donald Trump and former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg faced off head-to-head during the NFL championship game, the 'Super Bowl.' The two engaged in a heated exchange reminiscent of a 'schoolyard' fight through advertisements and interviews.

President Trump took the first shot. Recently, on his Twitter, Trump mocked former Mayor Bloomberg's short stature by calling him "Mini." On February 2 (local time), just before the Super Bowl game held in Miami, Florida, in an interview with Fox TV, he said, "I think he is too short," adding, "If he goes to the Democratic primary debate stage, he will have to stand on a box." Trump also criticized the Democrats for unfairly allowing Bloomberg to participate in the primary debates. He expressed confidence by saying, "I will enjoy running against former Mayor Bloomberg in the presidential election."

On that day, President Trump disparaged and insulted Democratic presidential candidates, calling former Vice President Joe Biden "Sleepy Joe," Senator Bernie Sanders a "Communist," and Senator Elizabeth Warren "Pocahontas," using nicknames he created. However, he did not hesitate to make personal attacks only against former Mayor Bloomberg.

Trump is counterattacking former Mayor Bloomberg, who entered the presidential race with vastly greater wealth, by targeting his short height. Bloomberg's fortune is $53.4 billion, ranking 8th in Forbes' list of the 400 richest Americans last year. In contrast, President Trump was ranked joint 275th with $3.1 billion.

Former Mayor Bloomberg is pursuing an aggressive advertising strategy based on his enormous financial resources. According to a poll conducted by the American polling agency Ipsos on January 29-30, among Democratic-leaning registered voters, Bloomberg rose to 12% support, ranking third among Democratic candidates.

After President Trump's remarks were reported, Bloomberg's camp responded in an interview with CNN, calling Trump "a pathological liar with fake hair and obesity," countering with personal attacks.

U.S. President Donald Trump is attending a Super Bowl party on the 2nd. [Image source=AP Yonhap News]

The competition between the two continued during the Super Bowl. Both purchased one-minute advertisements during the Super Bowl, where 30 seconds cost as much as $5.6 million. They poured campaign funds into advertisements costing over 200 million won per second, competing fiercely.

It is even reported that President Trump planned to air two advertisements during the Super Bowl and requested the broadcaster to air his ads before Bloomberg's. This indicates how strongly Trump views Bloomberg as a competitor.

The Washington Post (WP) commented that the advertising strategies of the two are not unusual. Both understand the power of mass media well and would not miss the opportunity to secure nationwide image exposure to an audience of 100 million viewers. While former President Barack Obama and others have aired Super Bowl ads on regional broadcasts in the past, WP noted that this is the first time presidential candidates have advertised during a nationally broadcast live game.

The content competition was also intense. Bloomberg's 60-second ad featured the mother of a young man in his 20s who died in a 2013 gun accident, addressing gun issues. The ad also intended to criticize President Trump’s passive stance on gun control.

President Trump, in his second ad that day, aired an appeal from a Black woman supporter. This was clearly aimed at Bloomberg. During his tenure as New York City Mayor, Bloomberg implemented stop-and-frisk policies that caused resentment among Black communities, resulting in low Black support for him. Political media outlet Politico commented, "It is unclear who will be the winner in this advertising battle."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.