Former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg Michael BloombergDemocratic groups using Bloomberg money to launch M in Spanish language ads in Florida Bloomberg pays fines for 32,000 felons in Florida so they can vote Top Democratic super PAC launches Florida ad blitz after Bloomberg donation MORE (I) on Sunday speculated that Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell Addison (Mitch) Mitchell McConnellTrump 'no longer angry' at Romney because of Supreme Court stance On The Money: Anxious Democrats push for vote on COVID-19 aid | Pelosi, Mnuchin ready to restart talks | Weekly jobless claims increase | Senate treads close to shutdown deadline The Hill's Campaign Report: Trump faces backlash after not committing to peaceful transition of power MORE (R-Ky.) might allow a vote on gun control measures in the wake of two deadly mass shootings to increase his reelection chances.

“Mitch McConnell is up for reelection, and he's running against somebody who, I'm told, is an attractive candidate. Mitch McConnell is going to look and say, ‘What does the public want as well?’” Bloomberg, who co-founded Mayors Against Illegal Guns in 2006, said on CBS’s “Face the Nation.”

“So I am optimistic that even Mitch will change his mind," he added. "I hope so.”

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Bloomberg also cast doubt on the power of the National Rifle Association (NRA) to successfully lobby against measures such as universal background checks.

“The NRA takes no prisoners whatsoever and they lost 21 seats in the House. Flipped the House. And so now is the time to start working and helping the Republicans to see the light, because I don't think this is a partisan issue,” Bloomberg told CBS’s Margaret Brennan.

President Trump Donald John TrumpSteele Dossier sub-source was subject of FBI counterintelligence probe Pelosi slams Trump executive order on pre-existing conditions: It 'isn't worth the paper it's signed on' Trump 'no longer angry' at Romney because of Supreme Court stance MORE has called for stronger background checks in the wake of the two shootings last weekend in El Paso, Texas and Dayton, Ohio that collectively killed at least 31 people, although he has made similar calls in the wake of previous shootings before backtracking.

NRA CEO Wayne LaPierre reportedly reached out to Trump recently to tell him the organization opposes stricter background checks.