Democratic presidential candidate Michael Bloomberg made a campaign stop Monday in Burlington, the hometown of rival candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders.
Bloomberg, the former mayor of New York City, spoke to a crowded room at the ECHO Leahy Center for Lake Champlain.
In an 18-minute stump speech, Bloomberg pitched himself as the candidate best positioned to beat President Trump.
Bloomberg also said his campaign isn't beholden to any special interests because he's financing it himself. The billionaire has already spent $270 million on advertising, according to ABC News.
“I think even if you take small donations, it just doesn't set the image that I want,” Bloomberg said. “I want everybody to understand what you get is me and I'll do things based on what I think is right, not from who made a contribution to my campaign.”
Sanders has raised millions of dollars from small donations.
When asked by reporters why he was a better choice than Sanders, Bloomberg said he could beat Trump and appeal to moderates.
“I think that, in terms of a lot of people who think this people this country should evolve rather than have a revolution, I would be their choice,” he said.
Unlike other candidates who are focusing on early contests like next week's Iowa Caucus, Bloomberg is campaigning in Super Tuesday states like Vermont, which will vote in March.
