Donald Trump: millionaire property developer, host of the hugely successful Celebrity Apprentice – and now presidential candidate? Sarah Smith reports.
It sounds fanciful – even farcical – but Donald Trump is currently running in second place to win the Republican nomination.
His infamous catch phrase – you’re fired – is what he wants to say to President Obama.
“I’d run a great country”, he says. “The world laughs at us – but they won’t be laughing if I’m president.”
But comics, such as Jon Stewart, are already laughing at the very idea.
If you have even the slightest inclination you might like to move into the White House, the cheapest and easiest way to get a lot of attention is to start by saying you don’t think Barack Obama was born in America – and therefore can’t legally be President of the United States.
For anyone to take Mr Trump seriously shows just how weak the Republican field must be
It’s a pretty crazy conspiracy theory but it’s still very popular with voters who just don’t like Obama.
Mr Obama has produced a “certificate of live birth” showing he was born in Honolulu, Hawaii in 1961, but that’s not good enough for the so called birthers – like Mr Trump.
The much less glitzy Mitt Romney still tops every Republican opinion poll – but he doesn’t excite voters, while Sarah Palin’s star is slipping.
But still – for anyone to take Mr Trump seriously shows just how weak the Republican field must be.
“The Don” says he can’t officially declare until this series of Celebrity Apprentice finishes in June but since he started talking about running for President ratings have leapt up – leading some suggest its all a great big publicity stunt from one of the world’s most shameless publicity seekers.