Donald Trump might be taking another look at running for president — this time for the 2016 cycle.
The “Celebrity Apprentice” star and business mogul has reportedly spent more than $1 million researching a potential run for president, according to The New York Post.
Trump famously floated the idea of running in the 2012 election but in the end did not enter the race.
Longtime Trump friend and GOP consultant Roger Stone told The Daily Caller that many people have been encouraging Trump to run.
“Literally thousands of people urged Donald Trump to run in 2016,” Stone wrote TheDC in an email. “Many now believe he would have run a better race than Romney.”
“Trump has told me directly he is keeping his options open for 2016,” Stone added, noting that he in not formally involved in the process.
Trump recently said it was “highly unlikely” that he would run for office, explaining that he would rather see a competent person win the next presidential race.
“Everybody tells me: ‘Please run for president, please run for president,'” Trump said at a recent Republican dinner, according to The Oakland Press. “I would be much happier if a great and competent person came along. I’d be happy if President Obama did a great job. I’m a Republican, but before anything, I love this country.”
However, Trump has sent out more feelers, to the tune of more than $1 million.
“The electoral research was commissioned. We did not spend $1 million on this research for it just to sit on my bookshelf,” Michael Cohen, executive vice president and special counsel to Trump, told The New York Post.
“At this point Mr. Trump has not made any decision on a political run, but what I would say is that he is exactly what this country needs,” Cohen added. “The turnout at these political speeches indicates his following remains very strong and is growing.”
