Real estate mogul/reality TV star Donald Trump has decided not to run for the Republican presidential nomination next year. Although he believes he would win the nomination and the general election, his heart rests in his business endeavors, he said in a statement this afternoon announcing what he said was a tough decision.
“After considerable deliberation and reflection, I have decided not to pursue the office of the presidency,” Trump’s statement said.
“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.”
But after campaigning unofficially for months, Trump said he has come to realize that he must be 100 percent committed to run for public office. “Ultimately, however, business is my greatest passion and I am not ready to leave the private sector.”
He reportedly had planned to meet with NBC executives this morning to discuss his future on “The Apprentice,” his reality TV show. The execs had been pressuring him to decide whether he would re-up for next season by today because they planned to announced their fall lineup this afternoon. It was reported Friday that NBC was dangling a $60 million offer to stay with the show.
Following is Trump’s full statement:
"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!"
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