“Haters gonna hate,” is the mantra for the Michael Bloomberg campaign, as the billionaire candidate heads into his first 2020 Democratic presidential primary debate.

Bloomberg, a billionaire businessman and former New York City mayor, qualified for Wednesday night’s debate after earning 19% of the popular vote in a poll released Tuesday.

The debate will be held in Las Vegas, ahead of Nevada’s caucuses on Saturday.

However, Bloomberg won’t compete in Nevada or in the South Carolina primary the following week, waiting instead for delegate-rich Super Tuesday in which voters in 14 states are balloting.

Roughly one-third of all party delegates are up for grabs on Tuesday, March 3.

The 78-year-old Bloomberg, who also bypassed the first two nominating contests, in Iowa and New Hampshire, finished second in the new poll, behind Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, an independent running on the Democratic ticket.

The NPR, PBS NewsHour and Marist poll was the fourth national qualifying poll in which Bloomberg received at least 10 percent support.

In January, the Democratic National Committee lifted the donor threshold requirement, clearing the way for Bloomberg to earn a spot in the debates based solely on public poll numbers.

While others in the Democratic field have honed their debate performances gradually and in public, Bloomberg has reportedly spent weeks with his campaign staff preparing for his debate debut.

The campaign is expecting a baptism by fire from the other candidates on stage on Wednesday, and are gearing up for the performance accordingly.

“Haters gonna hate. Bring it on,” Bloomberg adviser Howard Wolfson quipped to Politico.

Even before that, Bloomberg, whose campaign is barely three months old, was ready for the fight.

“I think it’d be fun to go and compete,” he said. “I always thought it was fun to joust.”

Bloomberg last appeared on a debate stage in 2009.

He and his campaign are hoping for a fiery performance that lives up to the polished and pithy campaign videos that have been practically ubiquitous, in large part because of the reported $400 million Bloomberg has already spent on advertising. 

The videos are an attempt to distinguish Bloomberg from a field that includes several older male Democratic candidates including Sanders and former Vice President Joe Biden.