ABC News(NEW YORK) — Donald Trump, the real estate mogul, reality television star and hair icon, announced on Tuesday he is taking his first run at the White House.
From the iconic Trump Tower in New York City, Trump told his supporters he is “officially running for president of the United States.”
“We are going to make our country great again,” Trump, who turned 69 on Saturday, declared.
He added, “I will be the greatest jobs president that God ever created.”
In 2012, Trump launched a presidential exploratory committee and visited key battleground states before bowing out in May 2011. This time though, Trump says he’s in it for the long haul; he plans to step away from the day-to-day management of The Trump Organization, and hand the reigns over to his children: Ivanka, Donald Jr, and Eric. He has also chosen to step aside from his hit reality show, The Apprentice.
Last month, Trump told ABC News’ Rick Klein, “Politicians are all talk, no action. They do a terrible job; a tremendous disservice to the country. And I know them better than anybody, and I love them – I think they’re great. It’s easy to make money with politicians. But, the fact is that it’s all talk and no action…and the country’s going to hell.”
Trump entered the real estate business started by his father, the late Fred C. Trump. Today, the kid from Queens is worth just over $9 billion, he claims. The name Trump can be found on countless Manhattan buildings along with hotels and golf courses across the globe.
Donald Trump has been married three times — his longest marriage to Ivana Zelnícková ended in divorce in 1992. He married actress Marla Maples a year later until they called it quits in 1999. His current wife, Melania Knauss, married him in 2005.
Trump has three children from his first marriage — Donald Jr, Ivanka and Eric, a daughter Tiffany from his second marriage, and a son Barron with wife Melania.
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