Donald Trump joins race for Republican presidential nomination
Billionaire businessman becomes latest to enter increasingly crowded Republican field
The Donald is running for president.
Real-estate mogul and reality-television star Donald Trump said Tuesday he will seek the Republican nomination for president of the United States. He's the 12th high-profile Republican to enter the 2016 race, with more to come in the weeks ahead.
"I will be the greatest jobs president that God ever created," Trump boastfully proclaimed in New York City.
"Sadly, the American dream is dead," he said. "But if I get elected president, I will bring it back bigger and better and stronger than ever before, and we will make America great again.
"All of my life, I have heard, a truly successful person, a really successful person and even a modestly successful person, cannot run for public office, just can't happen," Trump added. "Yet that's the kind of mindset you need to make this country great again.
"So, ladies and gentlemen, I am officially running for president of the United States, and we are going to make our country great again."
Trump made the announcement at the midtown Manhattan tower that bears his name, giving a rambling speech that wandered from foreign policy to U.S. President Barack Obama's health care overhaul to Trump's achievements in business.
The 69-year-old may be best known for telling contestants "You're fired!" on his NBC reality show, The Apprentice. He revealed to the public Tuesday that he has a net worth of $8.7 billion US, a number he says he released to prove he is not a loser.
Taking aim at China, Mexico
In his notorious bombastic style, he mixed boasts about his wealth with promises to effortlessly defeat the Islamic State group and negotiate trade deals with China.
"Our enemies are getting stronger and stronger by the day and we as a country are getting weaker," the billionaire said.
On Mexico, Trump did not pull any punches, accusing America's southern neighbour of dispatching criminals into the U.S.
"They're sending people that have lots of problems and they're bringing their problems," he said. "They're bringing drugs, they're bringing crime, they're rapists, and some I assume are good people, but I speak to border guards and they tell us what we are getting."
Trump also took a shot at Saudi Arabia, urging it to be more supportive of U.S. military and diplomatic support. "Saudi Arabia without us is gone," he warned.
Trump: I don't need anybody's money. "I'm really rich."
—@fitzpatrick_mReactions from both sides
It was a speech that drew immediate scorn online from a series of Republicans, who fear Trump will turn an otherwise serious Republican primary contest into a circus.
"I just apologized to my toddler for bringing him up in a country where Donald Trump runs for Prez, gets better than 2% in the polls," veteran Republican strategist Liz Mair tweeted.
Republican operative Brendan Buck, who previously worked on Mitt Romney's presidential campaign and now works for Representative Paul Ryan, tweeted: "Who do I blame for Trump running for president. Whose fault is this?"
The Democratic National Committee was just as sarcastic on Twitter: "He adds some much needed seriousness that has previously been lacking from the GOP field, and we look forward to hearing more about his ideas for the nation."
Trump has teased presidential runs before, but has always backed out. But in preparation for the 2016 campaign, Trump decided not to renew his reality show contract. He cannot appear on network television and run for president at the same time.
After forming a presidential exploratory committee in March, Trump has also hired political operatives on the ground in Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina. He has also been a frequent visitor to the early voting states in recent months, and is currently doing just well enough in early public opinion polls to earn a place on stage at the first event in August.
"Selfishly, the networks would put me on because I get great ratings," Trump recently told The Associated Press.
Trump is required to release a personal financial disclosure that would reveal intimate details about his personal finances. The disclosure will include his net worth, sources of income, liabilities and assets, as well as the same information for his wife and dependent children. Trump said Tuesday he is ready to do so.
With files from CBC News and Reuters