Billionaire Donald Trump chases U.S. presidency
Donald Trump
By Hallie Jeon
Real-estate mogul, TV celebrity and billionaire Donald Trump is running for U.S. president as a Republican nominee.
Trump, 69, on Tuesday portrayed himself as a confident, tough negotiator who can revive the American dream.
“Sadly, the American dream is dead, but if I get elected president, I will bring it back bigger and better than ever before, and we will make America great again,” Trump said in the announcement at Trump Tower, New York.
After revealing his net worth was $8.7 billion, more than twice what Forbes magazine speculated, Trump said the fact he would not be beholden to anyone was the main reason that qualified him for president.
“I don’t need anybody’s money, it’s nice… I’m really rich,” he said after holding up a one-page document compiled by a prominent accounting firm, that detailed his assets.
Once the paperwork is submitted to the Federal Elections Commission in the next 15 days, Trump will be an official Republican nominee for the 2016 election.
Christopher Ruddy, a friend of Trump’s and chief executive of Newsmax, a conservative magazine and website, said Trump would bring an “unaccustomed level of glamour to the Republican field.”
“He’s got that celebrity status,” Ruddy said. “Republicans crave that, because we don’t have it, generally.”
Texas Senator Ted Crux added to the praise: “His experience as a successful businessman and job creator will prove crucial to ensuring the eventual GOP nominee is not only well-equipped to defeat Hillary Clinton, but also to make America great again,” he said in a statement.
On the other hand, Trump could disrupt the Republican Party by shifting the spotlight from other significant Republican contenders, including Rick Santorum, Senator Lindsey Graham, Governor Bobby Jindal and Governor John Kasich.
“The worst nightmare for the growing Republican presidential brood is a man who has no compunction to fire and humiliate,” said Democratic strategist Hank Scheinkopf.