TRUMP: Bloomberg's media company treats 'me so knowingly badly that I would assume he's going to run'
"They treat me so knowingly badly that I would assume he's going to run," Trump said during an interview on MSNBC's "Morning Joe."
Trump repeated the accusation during a Fox Business interview.
"Bloomberg never covers me well. I would say of everybody that covers me, Bloomberg's the worst. That tells me he probably wants to get into the race," he said.
Trump also said he would love to run against Bloomberg. He didn't elaborate on his specific coverage complaints, but he did say that his comments were not directed at Bloomberg Politics managing editors John Heilemann and Mark Halperin.
"Other than John and Mark, I get treated so badly by Bloomberg," he said. "The things they say are just unbelievable. The worst just about of anybody, which is hard to believe because I get treated pretty badly by most."
Heilemann, who was on the "Morning Joe" set Tuesday morning, disputed Trump's characterization.
"That's very nice of you. I appreciate that," Heilemann said after Trump touted that fact that he had excluded him and Halperin.
"Although I will stand up for colleagues at Bloomberg," he told Trump. "We always treat you fairly. Tough but fair is the way that Bloomberg Politics always treats you in every instance Mr. Trump."
Trump shot back: "Well, you're wrong on that, but you and Mark are fine. You and Mark are fine."
Last weekend, The New York Times broke the news that Michael Bloomberg was seriously considering a potential 2016 presidential campaign as an independent. The billionaire former mayor reportedly saw an opening if Trump or his top GOP rival, Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), were the Republican nominee and if the Democratic nominee were also someone he saw as a flawed candidate.
"He used to be a friend of mine. I haven't spoken to him in a long time," Trump said of Bloomberg on "Morning Joe," touting the fact that he once developed a golf course in the Bronx in partnership with Bloomberg's City Hall.
"Now, I don't think he is a friend of mine anymore, based on what I'm hearing," Trump added. "When I hear he wants to run because Trump is running. I don't know."
Trump loudly complained last July when Bloomberg's news business pegged his net worth at just $2.9 billion, far lower than the more-than $10 billion that Trump says he's worth. At the time, Trump suggested the media mogul was jealous.
"Now maybe Michael told them to do it," Trump told the Daily Mail then. "Maybe he did, because he always wanted to do what I'm doing. ... I think they're a disgrace. And the next time I see Michael, I'm not going to be so nice."
Watch Trump discuss Bloomberg on 'Morning Joe' below: