All right, thank you, Anderson. I am Chris Cuomo and welcome to prime time.

Former New York City mayor and billionaire Michael Bloomberg taking steps to enter the race.

Is this playing like a distress call, but it certainly has to be a gut check?

Is this the suggestion that the Democratic field is too weak? Is Bloomberg saying out loud what many wonder about?

We're going to show you why Bloomberg thinks he can get in, what it could mean for the race,

as we hear from another Democrat who's definitely on the rise, Pete Buttigieg, he says,

I'm the man for the job and the fight.

What do you say?

Let's get after it.

Look, impeachment matters,

but it's somewhat of an X factor in the election.

What just happened tonight is not. It matters more.

Why? Bloomberg being expected to file for the Alabama presidential primary. Why Alabama?

Alabama has an unusually early filing deadline. So this is a sign Bloomberg's for real. He wants to get on as many ballots as he can. He's just a couple of months

out from the first voting. So CNN has learned that Bloomberg has been making calls to a handful of

connected Democrats in the last 36 hours, including some in Iowa and someone in South Carolina,

at least one mayor, where Iowa, remember, first votes are cast there in February.

Now, is he really getting in?

Here's this for more proof.

Follow me to the wall, because we're going to spell this out for you.

From CNN, more color from just tonight.

Mr. Bloomberg went to a restaurant in New York City tonight.

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