The naysayers said Donald Trump was just pulling a con. They said he was doing it for the ratings and to help his renegotiation for a big Celebrity Apprentice payday next year. They said he just wanted folks to pay attention to him. They said he had no intention of ever making any personal sacrifice in service to his country. Today, the naysayers look a lot more credible than Trump.
For months, Trump toured the country and ate up cable-news airtime, declaring his absolute seriousness in exploring a presidential bid. He promised that he was prepared to release new financial statements showing just how rich he actually was. He said that he was willing to put off a lucrative career as an NBC reality-show host for the nation. He wasn’t.
He announced his abandonment of his desire to work for the country just minutes before NBC announced his new show to advertisers. A showman until the end, he took the country for a ride and then, as he has always done, cashed his chips in the end. He released a statement filled with sentiments that are as credible as just about everything else he has said over the past several months.
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!
Donald J. Trump
The Celebrity Apprentice will be back for the 2011-12 season on NBC. The Republican presidential primary can now return to its regularly scheduled programming.