Wednesday, November 23, 2011

Mr. Trump holds nothing back in blaming Mr. Obama


Political Insight and Analysis From The Wall Street Journal's Capital Bureau

Trump Threatens to Spend Millions on a Presidential Run


He’s done it before, and he’s doing it again.

In his new book, “Time to Get Tough,” Donald Trump lashes into President Barack Obama and threatens to run against him next year if the Republicans don’t nominate a strong candidate.
Beating the drum even louder, Mr. Trump details his net worth—which he puts at $7 billion—and says he’s prepared to pour a large chunk of his $270 million in liquid assets into a presidential bid. (Mr. Trump values the Trump brand alone at $3 billion.)
“He’s prepared to finance an independent run for president if he’s not satisfied with the Republican nominee,” says the real estate mogul’s right-hand man, Michael Cohen.
Mr. Trump made noises about a presidential campaign this spring, including a high-profile, campaign-style jaunt aboard his personal jet to New Hampshire. But he decided instead to stick to his business enterprises and his reality TV show.
In the book, due out next month, Mr. Trump holds nothing back in blaming Mr. Obama for all that ails the economy. He claims Mr. Obama has spent much of his time traveling “around the world apologizing for the country” and “playing nice with China.”
Book tours and presidential campaigns have become almost synonymous this year. Mr. Cohen says the book would segue well into a presidential bid. “This is a very political book,” he says.
Meanwhile, Mr. Cohen claims he is doing all the necessary advance work, just in case his boss does pull the trigger — a decision Mr. Cohen says will come “in the first week in June.”
“I already mapped out everything that has to be done to be an effective candidate and what we’d have to do to get on the ballot on all 50 states,” Mr. Cohen says.
The Trump aide declined to elaborate on which GOP candidates would draw Mr. Trump’s ire, and a possible independent challenge. But he did hint that the billionaire wouldn’t run against Newt Gingrich. “He and Newt are close,” Mr. Cohen said.

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