Democratic candidate Michael Bloomberg released a sweeping plan on Monday to deliver the profound change needed in the executive branch after four years of tumult under President Trump:
Though a White House under President Trump could not withstand the pressure of such an office plan — there’s already enough infighting with the traditional layout — it’s unclear how well a Bloomberg administration would do with the format, assuming the candidate can boost his 4.9 percent polling support. “Man with private office says employees should all sit in an open office and he will even sit with them when not using his private office,” tweeted The Atlantic’s James Hamblin, one of many jokes to emerge in the immediate wake of Bloomberg’s announcement:
It’s been a big week for Bloomberg, office plan-wise. On Monday, Politico reported that the campaign informed its 300 New York staffers they would be moving from the former headquarters on the Upper East Side to the former New York Times building in Times Square. For consistency’s sake, or to practice for the proposed East Room rehab, the new office has an open layout, with a desk in the middle for the ex-mayor.
Though open offices are cheaper than traditional setups, it’s unlikely that the 2020 field’s wealthiest billionaire is a fan of such renovations for budgetary reasons: Bloomberg has already spent $128 million on ads since announcing his candidacy on November 24, and is on track to surpass all of Obama’s 2012 spending before Super Tuesday.
