The Latest: Iowa, New Hampshire leaders encourage Bloomberg

WASHINGTON (AP) - The Latest on Michael Bloomberg opening the door to a 2020 Democratic presidential bid (all times local):

11:55 a.m.

Democratic Party leaders in Iowa and New Hampshire are welcoming billionaire Michael Bloomberg to join the 2020 presidential race.

Bloomberg is a former New York City mayor and opened the door on Thursday to a late-in-the-game run for the party's presidential nomination.

In a joint statement Friday, New Hampshire Democratic Party Chair Ray Buckley and Iowa Democratic Party Chair Troy Price praised the "many qualified candidates" already in the race. But the two party leaders added they "are certain" voters in their states and other early states "are eager to ask Michael Bloomberg about his plans to move our states and our country forward."

Buckley and Price say they hope voters "will have that opportunity."

Bloomberg initially ruled out a 2020 run and has not made a final decision on whether to jump into the race.

President Donald Trump says there's "nobody" he'd "rather run against" than Bloomberg.

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11:20 a.m.

President Donald Trump is responding to a possible run by former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg for the Democratic presidential nomination, saying "There is nobody" he'd "rather run against."

Trump was responding to news that the billionaire Blomberg is opening the door to a 2020 White House bid.

Trump predicted Friday his fellow longtime New Yorker is "not going to do well" but suggested his candidacy would be most damaging to former Vice President Joe Biden, another moderate.

Trump says Bloomberg "doesn't have the magic to do well" and predicts Bloomberg will fail after spending "a lot of money."

Bloomberg initially ruled out a 2020 run and has not made a final decision on whether to jump into the race. Bloomberg warns the current field of Democratic candidates is ill equipped to defeat Trump next year.

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6:55 a.m.

Billionaire former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg is opening the door to a 2020 presidential campaign.

Bloomberg announced earlier this year that he would not seek the Democratic nomination. But in a statement Thursday, his political adviser Howard Wolfson says Bloomberg is worried that the current crop of Democratic presidential candidates is "not well positioned" to defeat President Donald Trump.

A Bloomberg adviser says the former mayor has not made a final decision on whether to run. But he is expected to file to get on the ballot in Alabama's presidential primary.