Trump not running for president
(CNN) - Real estate mogul and television celebrity Donald Trump, who generated a media publicity blitz by saying he might run for president in 2012, announced Monday that he will instead remain a businessman.
"After considerable deliberation and reflection, I have decided not to pursue the office of the presidency," Trump said in a statement.
With his typical bravado, Trump maintained that he would have won the Republican primary and the general election, but recognized that "running for public office cannot be done half-heartedly."
"Ultimately, however, business is my greatest passion and I am not ready to leave the private sector," Trump said in the statement.
Trump's flirtation with running for the Republican nomination included his demand that President Barack Obama make public his full birth certificate from Hawaii.
Obama previously had provided a shorter version that serves as the public record in Hawaii, but amid the media glare on the issue raised in part by Trump's repeated questioning of whether the so-called long version of the document existed, the president released it last month.
At an NBC presentation of the network's fall line-up, Trump, star of "Celebrity Apprentice," said "NBC has been amazing. This will be our 12th season and I have to say I love 'Celebrity Apprentice.'"
"I will not be running for president as much as I'd like to," Trump added.
Full release:"After considerable deliberation and reflection, I have decided not to pursue the office of the Presidency. This decision does not come easily or without regret; especially when my potential candidacy continues to be validated by ranking at the top of the Republican contenders in polls across the country. I maintain the strong conviction that if I were to run, I would be able to win the primary and ultimately, the general election. I have spent the past several months unofficially campaigning and recognize that running for public office cannot be done half heartedly. Ultimately, however, business is my greatest passion and I am not ready to leave the private sector.
I want to personally thank the millions of Americans who have joined the various Trump grassroots movements and written me letters and e-mails encouraging me to run. My gratitude for your faith and trust in me could never be expressed properly in words. So, I make you this promise: that I will continue to voice my opinions loudly and help to shape our politician's thoughts. My ability to bring important economic and foreign policy issues to the forefront of the national dialogue is perhaps my greatest asset and one of the most valuable services I can provide to this country. I will continue to push our President and the country's policy makers to address the dire challenges arising from our unsustainable debt structure and increasing lack of global competitiveness. Issues, including getting tough on China and other countries that are methodically and systematically taking advantage of the United States, were seldom mentioned before I brought them to the forefront of the country's conversation. They are now being debated vigorously. I will also continue to push for job creation, an initiative that should be this country's top priority and something that I know a lot about. I will not shy away from expressing the opinions that so many of you share yet don't have a medium through which to articulate.
I look forward to supporting the candidate who is the most qualified to help us tackle our country's most important issues and am hopeful that, when this person emerges, he or she will have the courage to take on the challenges of the Office and be the agent of change that this country so desperately needs."
Thank you and God Bless America!
Donald J. Trump
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I am so upset. I wanted to see him lose. He doesn't want anyone to look at his financials. AND the biggest reason is he would not be able to stand it WHEN he lost. he is a loudmouthed BORE.
Yay! I may not have to move to Canada after all!
As if he were ever serious about running for the presidency.
The only thing Trump is good at is running his mouth.
What a MORON.
Oh WOW!!! I was really looking forward to the. i truly think that he would have given any politician a run for their money! I really hope that he reconders. Although I am a Obama I would definitely vote for him
Don't let the door hit 'ya where the good Lord split 'ya. So long possum-head.
Ron Paul!
Oh heck and he was so funny, it was a belly laugh a day.
What a shame.
The country needs him to keep his hat in the race for the Republican nomination.
Since Ford, the Republicans have demonstrated their complete ineptitude to run a country.
The Reagan deficit erased by Clinton was re-established with an exclamation point by Bush.
The Responsible Traditional Republicans of Eisenhower and Ford (even Bush Sr.) are finding a reluctant home in the Democratic Party. The best way to return to responsible pride in America is to for the Republican Party to continue to destroy itself instead of the country. Keep the field of Republican candidates wide with nut jobs and incompetents.
"I make you this promise: that I will continue to voice my opinions loudly and help to shape our politician's thoughts."
Lucky us.
I would have won the primary and ulitimately the general election if I had decided to run – so there Trump. See how easy it is to call yourself the winner without even trying? What a D-bag.
After all that bs with the President showing his birth cert., we should demand Trump tell us what's really on his head
He's not running but I think his hair is.
Thank. You.
Thank goodness that this joker decided against running for office.
This says less about Trump than about the state of our electorate. It does confirm that he's a blowhard and a shameless self-promoter, but that has been known for years by any informed person. Unfortunately, the fact that he gathered so much support until he imploded, tells us that millions of Americans are unable to make even semi-intelligent choices about something as important as our national leadership. Since 27% of self-identified Republicans picked him as their favorite, we can only cringe at what is happening to this once great political party.
His arrogance would have alienated America from the rest of the world.
I am still not going to stay in one of his hotels or buy anything from that clown..... NBC/Comcast should get rid of him as well. It his business acumen that brought the USA to where it is right now.... Right on the brink and looking down the hole. BTW – CNN why don't you make the Debt Ceiling breaking news?
So he's a quitter? I thought he hated quitters! He'll have to fire himself...
Let us remember that he was once in the top 3 for the republicans to win the GOP's presidential nomination.
I think he was afraid his hair spray supply would run out.
This isn't a surprise. Trump is someone who likes making noise and enjoys attention but doesn't really want the responsibility of leading the country.
Good. Now just a few more days for this announcement to wear off, and we can finally get him out of the damn headlines.
Fool. I have a barber for you.
Trump is right. He had a vast moron follower calling themselves “birther”. But as soon as President Obama showed his birth certificate, they died down and Trump is still barking instead of eating his….
A CNN censor would have had a better chance to get elected.
I am simply shocked by this announcement! Does this mean that his reality show won a new season? That's what it was all about from the beginning- the great huckster using politics to advance his economic interests- what a great patriot! Just like Huckabee, money comes first!