Donald Trump announced Monday that he will not run for president in 2012. The real estate mogul and reality show host cited his love for business as the reason behind his decision.
“I will not be running for president as much as I'd like to," the Celebrity Apprentice host said in a statement.
"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,” he continued. “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.”
The 64-year-old vowed to continue to bring attention to important issues. “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," he added.
Trump first revealed he was considering running for president in February during an interview on Piers Morgan Tonight. “The country is doing very poorly. It just can't do much worse. We're not respected anywhere in the world. I am seriously thinking about it,” he said. “I won't make a decision until June. But I will make a decision and it may surprise people frankly, but I will make a decision sometime prior to June.”
After his announcement, Trump remained in the media spotlight for pressuring President Obama to release his official long-form birth certificate. His persistence paid off last month – the White House released Obama’s birth certificate on April 27.
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