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 would be a landslide if he decides to run for the primary election. He will get less than 1% while the others will get 99%. Not a smart move, but he already feels the heat. It's time to get out of the kitchen before he gets burned hard. What a loser.
I'm looking forward to seeing what The Onion will say about this
That's a good idea.
PT Barnum lives.
Thank goodness, that would have turned the Presidential Election into a three ring circus. Now let's get some serious candidates in there. I think we really need to get serious about who is running for President from the Democratic side, I still feel strongly that Hillary needs to consider it, right now she is at a 66% approval rating according to recent Gallup Polls, where the President is sitting at a 54% approval rating. And while granted the Secretary of State normally fares better, it is something that should be considered. Right now, 50% of the American voters polled by Quinnipiac University felt the President was doing a horrible job, and of that, half of them felt he should be not be re-elected.
Something to think about.
I'm not surprised. After that embarrasing verbal beatdown from Obama, he had no choice but to give up. I have truely lost all respect for "The Donald." His spearheading the birther controversy was his downfall. He should stick to his day job and never attempt to run for president again.
"He said he will continue to voice his opinions and eventually support the candidate "who is the most qualified to help us tackle our country's most important issues."
I feel better about our government already. *sarcasm*
No need to read the story, headline's the best "news" today. Not really news, though, for anyone bright enough see through this self-serving, ethics-are-for-others ego maniac. Anyone who thought he would go through the very hard work of campaigning when he can basically do nothing but act like an dolt and make millions doesn't have a clue who Trump is.
Whoooooo. Caaaaaaaares. Lunatic! His time (and money) would be better spent trying to find out the mystery of his hair. You would think all that money, he'd do something about that cotton candy mess atop his skull.
Trump didn't get to where he is by not planning long term. I don't believe he ever seriously intended to run. Instead, he ran the biggest reality TV show in history. Not his Apprentice series, but his flirtation with politics. This Reality TV program played on CNN, Fox News, etc., and it made him a bigger celebrity for it. He knows the average Joe the Plumber American is an idiot, and he played it for all it was worth. And we the public ate it up.
A sad day....for the Democrats! Face it, they would love to see whack jobs like Trump, Palin or Bachmann run, so they could split the party vote, feasibly get the GOP nomination and get trounced by Obama. Oh well...they still have Newt
Thank god!!! The man is an idiot and insane. Obama in 2012!!!
What a shocker. Anybody with a brain knew that was all showboating and cynical self promotion. Trump is a clown.
gee Donald, after all the hype you've put out that you were going to run for president, you're now stating you're not going to run. you would make a rotten president anyway as all you are is big business, big business would be your backers and supporters, and big business would be you main focus if you ever did become president. thank god for those of us who are able to see through you and your big mouth and knew you were just blowing a lot of hot air in order to promote 'Celebrity Apprentice' as gee lo-and-behold, 'Celebrity Apprentice' is just about over! you can shut up now Donald and go back to doing what you do best – real estate.
No No... he's not running for President....after making such a giant fool of himself the past few weeks he's running FROM the President! Go Obama....FOUR more years!
He never was – just some free PR.
Although a Trump/Palin ticket would have been awesome. So far the front runner is BOZO.
File another one under "all hat and no cattle". Is he still going to at least ante up his tax info as promised?
"I maintain the strong conviction that if I were to run, I would be able to win the primary and ultimately, the general election."
So in his own words, he feels that he has the stuff to save the country from ruin, but he just can't be bothered. He feels he isn't rich enough yet.
I can't figure out who is the more ridiculous: Trump or the people who supported his "presidential run."
Aww this means we won't have a candidate we can make fun of!!! Too bad so sad... Sayonara Trump...
Now that you are not running now you can go after President Obama and say what ever you want how a lousy President he is .Vote Republican in 2012 and defeat all Democrats.
To all you Trump haters you maybe right about his ability to have been president but he has it right when it come to China and other countries taking advantage ot the USA. The Chinese are laughing at you and all the way to the bank. You have been warned and your leaders need to listen and act.
Dear CNN, STOP reporting about this joker. Just stop. No I didn't read the article. I saw his picture. Again. There are more important things happening in the world.
What he's really saying:
"After considerable delusion and embarrassment, I have decided not to pursue the office of the Presidency. My brief return to reality does not come easily or without regret; especially when even my joke-of-a-candidacy continues to be validated by the total lack of talent at the top of the Republican contenders, as confirmed in polls across the country. I maintain the strong conviction that if I were to run, there are enough abjectly stupid [R]s that I would be able to win the primary and ultimately, the general election."
Thank God!! He publicly admits to defrauding foreign heads of state, makes me cringe what he does here privately.
Breaking: Tiger Woods – also not running for president.