Donald Trump wants you to believe he's really serious about running for president in 2016


Donald Trump, who has for three decades pretended to run for president, insists he's serious about doing it for real this time. Honest.
The real estate tycoon and reality TV host — whose last flirtation with a presidential campaign consisted exclusively of a quixotic bid to prove Obama was not born in America — is hiring staff in key states, according to The Washington Post.
Trump said he is eager to show political observers that he is not teasing."Everybody feels I'm doing this just to have fun or because it's good for the brand," Trump said. "Well, it's not fun. I'm not doing this for enjoyment. I'm doing this because the country is in serious trouble." [The Washington Post]
Does that mean Trump will run? Probably not. NBC already renewed his TV show for another season. And again, he has that long, long history of claiming he wants to run for office, soaking up the free press, and then bowing out. Only time will tell if this time will be any different.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Jon Terbush is an associate editor at TheWeek.com covering politics, sports, and other things he finds interesting. He has previously written for Talking Points Memo, Raw Story, and Business Insider.
-
Trump picks conservative BLS critic to lead BLS
speed read He has nominated the Heritage Foundation's E.J. Antoni to lead the Bureau of Labor Statistics
-
Trump takes over DC police, deploys National Guard
Speed Read The president blames the takeover on rising crime, though official figures contradict this concern
-
Trump sends FBI to patrol DC, despite falling crime
Speed Read Washington, D.C., 'has become one of the most dangerous cities anywhere in the world,' Trump said
-
Trump officials reinstating 2 Confederate monuments
Speed Read The administration has plans to 'restore Confederate names and symbols' discarded in the wake of George Floyd's 2020 murder
-
Trump nominates Powell critic for vacant Fed seat
speed read Stephen Miran, the chair of Trump's Council of Economic Advisers and a fellow critic of Fed chair Jerome Powell, has been nominated to fill a seat on the Federal Reserve Board of Governors
-
ICE scraps age limits amid hiring push
Speed Read Anyone 18 or older can now apply to be an ICE agent
-
Trump's global tariffs take effect, with new additions
Speed Read Tariffs on more than 90 US trading partners went into effect, escalating the global trade war
-
House committee subpoenas Epstein files
Speed Read The House Oversight Committee has issued a subpoena to the Justice Department for its Jeffrey Epstein files with an Aug. 19 deadline