Real estate magnate and reality television star Donald Trump finally made good on his decades-long promise to seek the Republican presidential nomination on Tuesday, promising America the chance to vote for a “truly great leader.”
Taking the stage to the sounds of Neil Young’s “Rocking in the Free World” at New York City’s Trump Tower, the entrepreneur departed from his prepared remarks to deliver a lengthy monologue on global trade, the military, the U.S. economy, and most of all, Donald Trump.
“I will be the greatest jobs president God ever created,” he said. His rivals, he continued, “will never make America great again. They don’t have a chance.”
Trump’s frequent flirtations with a presidential bid have become a stock joke among the Washington press corps in recent years, but now he has finally made his intentions official. He must disclose his much-debated income to the Federal Elections Commission and may need to give up his role as the chief antagonist of NBC’s Celebrity Apprentice.
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The network released a statement following Trump’s announcement, saying it would “re-evaluate Trump’s role as host of Celebrity Apprentice should it become necessary, as we are committed to this franchise.”
