Trump: I’d like to run as a Republican, but... (misleading headline alert)

Trump: I’d like to run as a Republican, but... (misleading headline alert)

Capitol Confidential ^ | 04/14/2011 | Rick Karlin

Posted on Thursday, April 14, 2011 5:10:46 PM by RockinRight

New-minted birther, real estate developer and reality-show host Donald Trump continued his flirtation with a White House run Thursday, saying he’d love to run as a Republican, but he wouldn’t rule out running as an independent if he had too.
“It’s not the case that it would be nothing,” he told Talk 1300′s Fred Dicker, who asked him if would only run on the GOP line.

“It’s not something that I want to do. I want to run as a Republican. I don’t want to run as an independent,” he said later, adding he believes he could beat President Barack Obama.
The current state of affairs in Washington and the nation in general, Trump said is “Jimmy Carter-esque.”

Trump didn’t refute a report on the conservative Newsmax web site that he would make an announcement on the May 15 airing of his show “Celebrity Apprentice,” although that wouldn’t be a presidential nod — at least not on the show.

“As you know, I can’t announce during the show, I really can’t,” he said.
Then he added of the Newsmax report, “I don’t know where it came from … but it’s right in that I will be making a decision sometimes prior to June.”
While Trump may view the Obama administration as a disaster, he said he’s impressed with what Andrew Cuomo has done so far as governor.

“I think he’s doing a terrific job,” Trump said of Cuomo. “He’s setting a great example, he’s doing it with style and with class and I’m very proud of him.”