Donald Trump, you tease!
Once again, the business mogul and reality-TV star may (or may not) run for president in 2012.
“I’m thinking about it,” said Trump, who flirted heavily with the idea earlier this year, during an interview with conservative pundit Erich Erickson on Tuesday.
“But two things must happen: The economy has to stay bad and maybe get worse, which I think will happen because the leadership is so bad,” said Trump during an interview with conservative pundit Erich Erickson. “And the other thing that has to happen is the Republicans have to pick somebody … that in my opinion (and the opinion of others,) won’t be a very good candidate for what I believe in.”
Trump told Erickson — hinted, really — that any future plans may not (or perhaps may) include joining an already crowded Republican field.
“I actually think it’d be an interesting time to run as an independent, which I certainly am” said Trump, who also added that he still considers himself a Republican. “… Again, I never ran. I didn’t do a Ross Perot, where I’m running and by-the-way I’m pulling out. I said I was going to make a decision.” (Coulter calls Trump a ‘clown,’ rips gay marriage in GWU speech)
Trump noted positive polls and support he has received, but said he originally opted out of presidential politics because the allure of hosting another round of The Apprentice, which had been a boon for NBC as the season came to an end, was too much for any man to resist.
The teasing on Tuesday wasn’t the first time Trump has tickled the media with presidential aspirations since his final (?) decision in May. Last week Michael Cohen, an executive at the Trump Organization who also serves as something of an unofficial political adviser to The Donald, published a piece in ABC’s The Note, the title of which left little to the imagination other than an answer: “Donald Trump: Will He Get Back into the Presidential Race?”
In May, not long after he first rescinded his possible candidacy, Trump also sought the advice of a federal elections expert. The Daily Caller learned that Trump inquired about what it would take to qualify as an independent candidate in all 50 states. In short, it just takes a passionate person with a little (actually, a lot) of cash.
But as Trump made clear during his interview with Erickson, he has plenty of both — and more where that came from.
“I loved running, I really loved it,” said Trump. “In fact, I’m writing a book and in the book I talk about my run. It’s coming out sometime in December–January.”
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