Tom Steyer, the San Francisco Billionaire who has invested millions in a campaign to impeach President Donald Trump, has said he isn’t ruling out running for the presidency in 2020.
But according to what sources close to Steyer told CNBC, the Democratic megadonor is making aggressive plans to run for president next election.
“There’s no secret he’s going to be running for president, especially if Democrats take the House,” said a source to CNBC on the condition of anonymity. “Anyone who says this movement of his is purely about saving the country from Trump and not about any future political ambitions is just out of touch.”
Steyer has committed to donate $110 million to Democrats in the 2018 election cycle. Steyer has almost 1,000 staffers working at his two political organizations NextGen America and Need to Impeach (NTI.)
“At the end of this election cycle, Tom plans to look at the best way he can make an impact moving forward, and all options are on the table,” said Kevin Mack, an NTI lead strategist.
Another reason why it looks like he may be planning to run is Steyer has hired Allen Nesbitt of the opposition research firm Nesbitt Research for his NTI super PAC.
“They’re constantly looking at how issues that Tom works on resonate with voters — whether it be immigration, climate change, impeachment, or health care,” Aleigha Cavalier, a spokeswoman for Steyer.
Not to mention, Steyer, who is on a 30-city tour promoting his impeach Trump campaign, also loves the limelight.
“I think he’s enjoying his notoriety and the celebrity piece to all of this,” said a friend of Steyer’s. “He loves going on TV, going in front of all these groups and people applauding. Don’t forget one final piece of the puzzle: He’s been right more than not. He’s been right about Trump, energy issues and health care, and those are things to consider as well.”
Although the Democratic National Committee is more than willing to accept Steyer’s massive investments, he won’t be welcomed as a presidential candidate. Most Democrats argue the impeach Trump campaign is polarizing and won’t be a message the party supports.
“Steyer’s intense focus on growing his petition and pressuring Democrats to seek impeachment has put him on a collision course with the party’s establishment. Democratic leaders consider his campaign a distraction that could backfire, boosting GOP turnout and jeopardizing their efforts to win control of Congress,” said Arit John, a Bloomberg Reporter.
Author’s note: Steyer is crazy. But if he runs, it would be a great thing for Republicans. The DNC wouldn’t back him and the last time, the DNC tried to push out a candidate (Sanders) it did not go well…