Time To Get Tough Part 6

But maybe my biggest beef with Obama is his view that there's nothing special or exceptional about America-that we're no different than any other country. If a guy is that clueless about the character of America, he has no business being the leader of America. Our country is the greatest force for freedom the world has ever known. We have big hearts, big brains, and big guts-and we use all three. In the past our free market capitalist system has created more wealth and prosperity than any government-controlled economy could ever dream of doing. Because of that wealth, we give more in charity than any other country, and twice as much as the second most generous nation.2 Obama thinks America would be better off if we acted more like European socialist countries-many of which are in default and economic freefall. I think America would be better off if we ditch the community organizer experiment and get back to being the America we've been since our Founding Fathers risked their lives to create our country.

In 2012, our nation needs to send Barack Obama a message. We need to say loud and clear: Mr. President, we're not interested in your utopian vision of "fundamentally transforming America." We like the vision our Founding Fathers and the Const.i.tution created just fine. If that's what you meant by "hope and change," you can keep the change. We're not interested.

We need a leader who will get tough, get smart, and get America working again. I believe America is worth fighting for. I believe America has nothing to apologize for. I believe America can get back her greatness. But we need a tough leader for tough times-someone who isn't afraid to do hard things. We must find and elect that leader so our children and grandchildren will inherit an America as free and safe as the one we grew up in. The price of failure is too great-we have to succeed. The fate of freedom rests on it.

We have to get tough on the notion that government is the solution to every problem. It's not. As President Reagan said, "Government isn't the solution to our problem. Government is the problem." Barack Obama is the most liberal president the United States has ever dared to elect. When he was running for office, Obama warned the country that his goal was to "fundamentally transform America" and that he believed in "spreading the wealth around." Now, with three years under his belt, America looks like an economic wasteland. One out of every five men you pa.s.s on your way to work is out of work. Every seventh person you pa.s.s on the sidewalk is now on food stamps. Forty-six million Americans-more than at any time ever in the history of this country-now live under the poverty line. Businesses are being shuttered. Foreclosure rates are at historic highs. For the first time in American history, the United States has lost its triple-A credit rating. Gas prices have doubled. Our national debt has exploded. Jobs and economic growth are nowhere in sight.

How can we feel good about handing over this mess to our children and grandchildren? How can we think about the hundreds of thousands of soldiers, sailors, airmen, and Marines who have died for our freedom and way of life and not be ashamed at how we've allowed their gift to be trashed and abused? It's a total disgrace. If we're going to turn this thing around, we have to do it fast.

It's time to get tough. The time is now.

AFTERWORD.

THE PRESS AND THE PRESIDENCY.

In the spring of 2011, Lally Weymouth, daughter of the late, great Katherine Graham, publisher of the Was.h.i.+ngton Post, invited me to go to the White House Correspondents' Dinner. I had turned down so many of Lally's invitations in the past, I thought accepting her invite would be the right thing to do. I knew I was probably being set up by the media, but that's okay as long as you're prepared for it.

When I arrived at the event in Was.h.i.+ngton, thousands of people were packed into DC's biggest ballroom. The White House Correspondents' Dinner is the Academy Awards of politics. News reporters, political operatives, celebrities-you name it they're all there. As I walked in, the paparazzi and press were going crazy. "Mr. Trump, Mr. Trump," they shouted, "do you think the president will mention you in his speech?" I said, "I have absolutely no idea. I never thought about it, I sincerely doubt it, and why would he mention me?" I said this honestly despite the fact that I was at the top of the polls without even campaigning. The truth is, if I was in Obama's position, I probably wouldn't have mentioned the name Donald Trump, especially since I was. .h.i.tting him hard on his birth certificate and asking why he wouldn't just show it and get on with dealing with the serious issues our country faces today on debt, unemployment, and China, among others.

In any event, the festivities started, people went to the dais and made speeches, and eventually a third-rate comedian named Seth Meyers (somebody who in my opinion has absolutely no talent) got up and spoke. He was nervous, shaking, and sounded like he had marbles in his mouth. He made a crack that Donald Trump's candidacy was a joke or something to that effect. It was quite nasty but I've had a lot worse things said about me.

Then the president got up. As part of his routine they had a picture of the so-called birth certificate blown up on a large screen. And while the president was smiling, I knew inside he wasn't. Then, they showed a picture of the White House with "Trump White House" written on top of it like a hotel sign, which was cute. The president spent a lot of time telling jokes about me. I didn't quite know how to react. Should I be laughing? Smiling? Frowning? I wasn't sure so I decided to keep a straight face, with a few little smiles every once in a while because I knew the cameras were on me. The fact is, I loved the evening and I loved what the president was saying because even though they were jokes, he was telling them in a nice and respectful way and he did a good job telling them. And while I shouldn't admit this, I don't mind being the center of attention, especially on such an evening.

Sitting at another table was a beautiful blonde woman who turned out to be supermodel Brooklyn Decker, wife of Andy Rodd.i.c.k (a wonderful guy and a terrific tennis player who has never received his fair due). Brooklyn was not happy. Lally Weymouth was laughing her head off and other people were laughing like crazy. They thought it was hilarious that I was being roasted, but Brooklyn Decker actually looked angry. Months later, Brooklyn and I met at Anna Wintour's fabulous dinner at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. I thanked Brooklyn for her cla.s.sy att.i.tude and she knew exactly what I was saying. She is a terrific person and will continue to go far.

In any event, as the president was telling joke after joke, I tapped my wonderful wife, Melania, on the knee and said under my breath, "Baby, do you believe this? This is amazing. The president of the United States is doing nothing but talking about me." I loved it! I was having a great time! In fact, walking out of the ballroom, people were high-fiving me. They couldn't believe what they had just witnessed. It was a stellar night.

The next morning, I picked up the newspapers. The press was brutal. They said I was ridiculed, refused to smile, and was deeply embarra.s.sed. I realized then and there that political life is not real life. The media can distort the truth, and everyone thinks that's what really happened. I had a great time, but the press made it seem just the opposite. So for the record, the White House Correspondents' Dinner was a real highlight for me, and I loved it immensely.

The Press

What I don't love are wannabe "journalists" who are obsessed with protecting Obama, and "reporters" who try to ride my coattails to make a name for themselves and compensate for their lack of talent. Take, for example, MSNBC. They have this guy called Lawrence O'Donnell whom I seldom watch (and neither does anybody else). His ratings are terrible. So bad, in fact, that they just moved him from the 8:00 p.m. time slot because Bill O'Reilly was absolutely killing him.

This O'Donnell guy's hatred of me was absolutely laughable. He would rant and rave about me like a total lunatic. I don't think he has a huge career in television-at least I would be very surprised. A year ago, he had strongly picked Tim Pawlenty to win the Republican nomination. Obviously, that turned out wrong. His media bookers, who are very nice, keep calling my office begging me to do his show. Our response is simple: I only do shows that get good ratings. I don't want to waste my time.

One bright spot on MSNBC is Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski on a show called Morning Joe. I don't always agree with what they say, but it's a vibrant, entertaining show. They have a great future in television or anything they want to do. My only suggestion for Joe and Mika is that they be more forthcoming, because often last year Mika and Joe would call me to say they were making a speech to a big audience and wanted to know if it would be okay if they could call me on my cell phone so I could say a few words during their speech. Whenever possible, I would agree to it. Mika usually would be the one to call and I would be speaking by cell phone to hundreds or thousands of people. Mika said to me, and I am sure she won't deny it, that every time they make a speech all the people ask about is Donald Trump. They want to hear about Donald Trump, they want to know what it is Donald Trump thinks. The only problem is they don't say that on the air. In fact, recently, there was a beautiful picture of Mika making a speech holding up her cell phone and Joe alluded, "Oh, look at the cell phone . . . I wonder what is going on there." Mika, knowing exactly what Joe was alluding to, said, "Uh, well something . . . " and that was the end of it and they went on to the next topic. That doesn't change my love for Joe and Mika. They are great people and they are very talented, but they should be a little bit more open about how I help them.

One guy I find somewhat irritating, but have actually come to like in terms of viewing, is Bob Beckel, the resident liberal on Fox News. I don't know the guy, but every time in the past when my name was mentioned, Beckel would say, "Well, what does he know? He went bankrupt."

When I heard this, I asked one of my people to call Fox and explain that I never went bankrupt. Over the years, I, Carl Icahn, Henry Kravis, Cerberus, Apollo, and many of the biggest names in business have used the nation's laws to do and turn great deals. I have used the laws for certain companies to reduce debt and turn them around. I have also bought companies and immediately thrown them into Chapter 11 in order to renegotiate with banks, and made great deals because of it-I followed the law, and what's wrong with that? Now, if they change the laws, I will find another way to gain maximum advantage. But the bottom line is I never went bankrupt. Anyway, I have to give credit to Beckel, because after we set him straight, he has stopped making his mistake and now I enjoy him much more.

Someone I don't enjoy is the clown called Bryant Gumbel. He has failed on so many shows I've lost count. At any rate, Gumbel goes on HBO to cover the amazing story of a golf course I am building in Scotland. Trump International Golf Links is being built on the largest dunes in the world. When completed, there won't be anything like it. In fact, I and others predict it will be the greatest golf course anywhere in the world. It's a spectacular project, but it's been controversial because some environmental groups are opposed to developing the Great Dunes of Scotland, which I happen to own. So Bryant gets on HBO to do a story on the amazing golf course and goes off on a rant about me and Obama and tries to paint me as some kind of racist, which I am the furthest thing from being. Here he gets this big story on almost 2,000 acres along the North Sea in Scotland being transformed into the world's greatest golf course, and what does he do? He launches into a temper tantrum about Donald Trump. What a jerk! About the only thing I admire about the guy is his taste in real estate-he bought a couple of apartments in one of my many buildings.

Far better than Bryant Gumbel is Piers Morgan. After winning Celebrity Apprentice, Piers Morgan became a star and took over for Larry King on CNN. His show is terrific. One day Piers called me and asked me whether I would call in to his show, a privilege I receive that few others get because they'd rather have me on the show by phone than not at all. So I told him I would.

It turned out that he had a guest that night who was, of all people, then-Congressman Anthony Weiner. Interestingly, this was shortly before he imploded with his death-wish antics of sending nude photos of himself to women he had never met. Think of this: a celebrity politician, well known, doing such a thing. What a loser!

About a month prior to doing the show, Anthony called me. I knew him somewhat. He asked me to support his bid for New York City mayor. I told him strongly that I liked Mike Bloomberg, who would not be running again, and that it was a little early to start thinking about it, but sure, he could come see me if he wanted to. We had a very pleasant conversation. In fact, it could not have been nicer.

So when I called in to Piers at about 9:10 p.m., I learned that Anthony was in studio and would partic.i.p.ate in our conversation. They asked me if that was okay and I said it was fine.

Piers started off by asking me a question and then all of the sudden out of nowhere I heard this maniac Weiner ranting and raving, with great anger, about all sorts of things. He said I would never be president. I said to myself, Wow, is this the same guy that just called me about campaign contributions? Then I attacked him, because I always believe when attacked, hit your opponent back harder and meaner and ideally right between the eyes. Weiner said in a snide voice that he was on pace to be New York City's next mayor, whether I liked it or not. I told him that wasn't happening, at least not according to the polls and what people in the city were saying about him. He rambled for a bit and then I said, "A lot of people are leaving the city if you end up winning."

Little did I realize that a few weeks later this moron would explode, and my prediction that Anthony Weiner would not be mayor of New York City would be so prophetic and be proven correct so quickly.

As you probably know, my show Celebrity Apprentice has been one of NBC's biggest hit shows and a huge money maker for eleven seasons. I have a lot of rich friends who tell me they would kill to have their own hot reality show. Not for the money, mind you, but because it creates such a powerful brand presence and is a lot of fun to do. I tell them to go for it, but for whatever reason-personality, looks, stage fright, lots of reasons-they say they could never do it. But they give me a lot of credit for being able to pull it off.

Last season, The Apprentice was usually the #1 show in the 10:00 p.m. time slot, which is the most important time slot because it leads into the local news. It's been a winner right from the beginning. Here, for instance, is a Variety ratings chart on its first season.

Right now we're shooting the twelfth season, which will debut right after the Super Bowl. And let me tell you, NBC is going to be happy, because we have the best cast I think we've ever had.

Nevertheless, when I announced I was thinking of running for president, some of NBC's news people absolutely smashed me. One of them was Chuck Todd. I call him "Sleepy Eyes" because he looks like he is falling asleep when he speaks. No matter what I did or how hot I was in the polls, Sleepy Eyes Chuck Todd refused to say it. I would call him and say, "Chuck, it's not fair what you're doing." He would say, "Okay, I'll change it," but he wouldn't change. The thing I find most offensive about Chuck Todd is the fact that he pretends to be an objective journalist, when in reality the guy is a partisan hack. I was very disappointed in Chuck Todd. Needless to say, he's no Tim Russert.

Look, I love NBC. They were the ones who really understood how big The Apprentice was going to be. ABC made an offer too, but NBC had the vision. I give Bob Wright and Jeff Zucker tremendous credit. They wouldn't let Mark Burnett or me go anywhere else. They practically locked the doors at 30 Rock until we signed.

I also think Bob Greenblatt will do a fantastic job with prime time, but they need a lot of help. Steve Burke and Brian Roberts of Comcast are going to be amazing. I already see a big difference. So I love NBC. They are very special to me and I want to see them succeed. I'm sure they will-in spite of lightweights like Lawrence O'Donnell, Sleepy Eyes Chuck Todd, and that goof Ed Schultz. I don't say that with mean-spiritedness. It's just that lackl.u.s.ter talent offends me. People like Matt Lauer and Jim Bell's Today show team are great. I hope NBC will be able to re-sign Lauer when his contract comes up so he will continue there for many years to come. I also think David Gregory is doing a fine job filling some awfully big shoes over at Meet the Press. David's been tough but fair-and that's all you can ask.

I do, however, think NBC made two big mistakes recently. One, they let CNN steal Erin Burnett away. I don't think Erin will be as successful on CNN, because it's very hard to do well in certain corporate cultures. Letting Erin get away was a big loss for NBC. Second, they named Brian Williams's new show Rock Center, a horrible name for a show-and names of shows really matter. Brian is fantastic. But Rock Center will never work, and if they get four or five million viewers a night it will be a lot. I hope it works out, but I think it's going to be a very long, hard road. Now, if they did it in Trump Tower and called it Trump Tower, it would, of course, be a smash hit!

One person who was very critical of me last spring but who hasn't spoken up lately is Karl Rove. I didn't know Rove, but he asked to see me quite some time ago, way before I talked about running for president. He came to my office and asked for money for his PAC. I think I gave him $100,000 or maybe more. When I was giving him money, he was a very nice guy. "There's n.o.body like you, Mr. Trump," he said. But then I decided-without consulting him, I guess-to consider a presidential run. I was quickly #1 in the polls, and Rove said something to the effect that mine was a clown candidacy. He already had a favorite candidate, so he felt he had to torpedo me because I was a threat. I really went after Rove. Since then, he's become nice and respectful. But I would say this: if he attacks me again I'll go after him like n.o.body has ever gone after him before. I didn't mind his statements about me, but I thought it was a terrible move after I gave him a six-figure donation. Life doesn't work that way-not in my world. Very stupid, very disloyal.

Plenty of media guys, like George Stephanopoulos, are big Obama fans. I like George a lot. But it was incredible to see how overprotective reporters got toward Obama when I simply said what everyone in America was thinking: "Where's the birth certificate?" I didn't actually bring up the whole birth certificate question at first-I wanted to talk about how China and OPEC are ripping us off and how we need to get tough on Iran, taxes, reckless spending, and repealing Obamacare. But when George brought it up during an interview on Good Morning America, he literally sprang out of his chair and started screaming at me for even questioning Obama. It was amazing. If the president were a Republican, the press wouldn't be so protective. But Obama? He must be guarded and treated with kid gloves.

I never understood why Obama would allow the question to hang around. Why not just produce the birth certificate and be done with it? Get it out there and move on. So I was very proud that I was able to finally get him to do something that no one else had been able to do. For the record, I'm not saying Obama wasn't born in the United States. However, multiple questions still surround the hospital records, his grandmother's statement that he was born out of the country, and his family members' statements that they weren't sure which hospital he was born in. As for the birth certificate I got him to produce, some people have questioned whether it's authentic. Maybe it is, maybe it isn't. That's for experts to determine. But if Obama's liberal media pals don't like my answer, stop asking the question.

Nothing irritates me more than a double standard, and yet that's what we see with liberal media types. Take Jon Stewart. I actually enjoy the guy, but when he did a segment mocking presidential candidate Herman Cain, and used a very racist and degrading tone that was insulting to the African American community, did he get booted off the air like Don Imus? No. Where was the Reverend Jesse Jackson? Where was the Reverend Al Sharpton? Where was Sleepy Eyes Chuck Todd to provide hard-hitting journalistic "a.n.a.lysis"? Nowhere. Stewart should have lost his job-at least temporarily. But he didn't and he won't because liberals in the media always get a free pa.s.s, no matter how bad their behavior.

Disappointing behavior by people in the press occurs on both sides of the aisle. A conservative commentator on Fox News, Charles Krauthammer, was really hitting me hard last spring. He couldn't believe I was #1 in the polls and kept knocking me. Now, you have to understand, he didn't know me, he never met me. But one day on Bill O'Reilly's show, Krauthammer hit me so hard it was ridiculous. He said mine was a joke candidacy or something to that effect. So O'Reilly sent Jesse Watters to New Hamps.h.i.+re to get my response. I let Krauthammer have it. I was very tough, some would say vicious, but I was tough because Krauthammer had been tough to me.

The next day I turned on the show and they didn't air my response. I called O'Reilly and said, "Bill, what happened? Krauthammer can talk about me but I can't talk about him?" Bill gave me what I considered a weak reason as to why he wouldn't play my response and I left it at that. I think Bill O'Reilly is terrific, and I think Greta Van Susteren, Sean Hannity, and Neil Cavuto are as well. These are outstanding people who get big ratings and do a fantastic job. But in this case I thought Bill was wrong. I should have been allowed to rebut Krauthammer as a matter of fairness.

In any case, there's a reason Fox News has such high quality programs and phenomenal ratings. His name is Roger Ailes. Whether some people like it or not, Roger Ailes, the creator of Fox News, working together with Rupert Murdoch, is one of the great geniuses in television history. Roger can look at a person and instantly tell whether that individual will grab ratings. In addition to O'Reilly, Van Susteren, Hannity, and Cavuto, Roger has numerous others who do amazing work. People like Bret Baier. I also love the team on Fox and Friends with Gretchen Carlson, Steve Doocy, and Brian Kilmeade. They're smart, quick, funny, and really know what's going on. The Fox morning show is a tremendous success due to its three talented hosts and the wonderful Roger Ailes. I really enjoy being on it.

Guys like Ailes understand that ratings rule. When I have friends with television shows that aren't doing well, they just can't understand why they're being canceled. I tell them this: I have learned that entertainment is a very simple business. You can be a horrible human being, you can be a truly terrible person, but if you get ratings, you are a king. If you don't get ratings, you are immediately canceled and nothing else will matter.

I happen to get ratings, and always have. Larry King used to tell me, "You get the highest ratings." Everybody wants me to be on their show, not because they like me, not because I'm handsome and have great hair, but because I get ratings. To tell you the truth, I'm not exactly sure why. I don't want to be provocative, and in many cases I try not to be provocative. But I think the reason millions of people follow my views on world events is because they know I understand that our country is being ripped off by OPEC, China, and other countries. They know America is in big trouble if we don't get back on the right track. And they know I'm not afraid to tell it like it is. It's not that they like or love me-it's that they respect what I have to say, believe the same thing themselves, and know that I'm right.

I'm also told that many people have a general interest in the details of my life and the people I work with in show business, particularly since they've seen all the amazing talent I've had on Celebrity Apprentice. It's always fun to see the kinds of questions people ask in the letters and emails my office receives. I enjoy working with stars and seeing their careers grow.

One of the most interesting and special people I've gotten to know is Lady Gaga. About five years ago, when she was a total unknown, Lady Gaga was the entertainment for the Miss Universe Pageant, which was held that year in Vietnam. I own the Miss Universe Pageant and have made it very, very successful. One day my people came to me and told me about a young woman they called Lady Gaga who n.o.body had ever heard of. We put her on as the entertainer in the middle of the pageant, which is broadcast internationally. I thought, "Wow, she is really, really good." The next day, it was crazy. Everybody was talking about how good Lady Gaga was-"Who is she, where is she? She's going to be someone big, she's amazing!" Well, she became a big star and maybe she became a star because I put her on the Miss Universe Pageant. It's very possible, who knows what would have happened without it, because she caused a sensation.

A couple years later, she opened in New York and was hotter than ever at Radio City Music Hall. I was there and happened to be sitting with a large group of very major celebrities. I won't mention their names because I'm not looking to embarra.s.s anybody. Gaga gave a fantastic performance and, after she was finished, her manager came and shouted, "Mr. Trump, Gaga wants to see you, but only you, n.o.body else can come." Now, here you have major singers, musicians, and television personalities and the manager is shouting to me, "Mr. Trump, only you and n.o.body else." I went back with my wife, Melania, and talked to Lady Gaga for about forty-five minutes. She's a fantastic person, solid as a rock, and I'm very proud of her success because I really believe I had at least something to do with it.

No matter if you're talking about media from the entertainment world or news shows, the media bookers all try to get me on their programs to help boost their ratings. Because I operate in both entertainment TV and current events shows, I have a keen understanding of how various moves affect ratings. For instance, I told Jeff Zucker, who previously ran NBC, "Jeff, don't move Jay Leno. He's #1 in the evening and when you are #1, you don't move. In fact, not only is he #1, he is a strong #1. Don't move Jay Leno-it is a terrible mistake."

I warned them that it would be the first time in history somebody's going to be taken out of the #1 position and moved and told them it would turn Leno into the equivalent of a lame duck president. In any event, they did it and Conan went on. To put it mildly, it didn't work. Jay went back to his original time and has never been the same again. His show's ratings are way down from what they were-he has never fully recovered.

I was actually doing the Jay Leno Show the night he was told that this move was going to be made and, even though it wasn't going to take place for five years, I could see that he was devastated, confused, and didn't know why they were doing it. I didn't either. It turned out to be possibly the greatest mistake in broadcast history.

Politics and television are nasty businesses. When the two collide, things get even nastier. As an example, Jay Leno-he knocks the h.e.l.l out of me on the show but always wants me to be on. The interesting thing is, even the ones that really go after me want me on the show for one reason and one reason only: I am a ratings machine.

Still, no matter how good your ratings are, sometimes you can't stop the press from running stories that are totally false but that they know will grab viewers or readers. To show you how dishonest the press is, I recently sold a house for $7.15 million. It was a house I had built at my great Trump National Golf Club in Los Angeles. The home is in a beautiful location fronting the Pacific Ocean with views of the course. This house was originally built for someone else who was unable to get financing from our country's wonderful banks and defaulted on $1.5 million. The house, which is one of seventy-five lots I own facing the ocean, cost me very little above that amount, so I had the house for almost nothing.

I listed the house for $12 million knowing I couldn't get anywhere near that but figuring it's a great way to negotiate. The buyer paid me $7.15 million, which was a substantial profit on that individual parcel.

The dishonest press smelled blood. Headlines raged that I had taken a major haircut on my home, as if I were selling my own personal house, not one of many in the development. In actuality, I had only been inside the house one time for five minutes to check it out. But it didn't matter. We tried to correct the newspapers, but the Los Angeles Times and others got the story totally wrong. In fact, one reporter told one of my lawyers that he knew we were right, that it wasn't my personal house, and that he knew the sale was almost all profit. "So why did you write it that way?" my lawyer asked. "Because it doesn't make for a good story," the reporter told him. That's how dishonest the press can be.

The Presidency

In all my years in business and partic.i.p.ating in politics I've never seen the country as divided as it is right now-and I've seen bad times. Voters' hatred of both Democrats and Republicans is beyond anything I have ever witnessed. A great leader can bring America together. But unfortunately for us, Barack Obama is not a leader. So who can the country turn to?

I have been saying for a long time that it is very hard for a truly successful person to run for political office. Your rivals and the press will take every deal you've ever made, even the best of them, and make them look bad. You could have built a $7 billion+ net worth, but it doesn't make any difference, because they will make you look as foolish as possible. A guy like Obama has it much easier. He had never done a deal before except for the purchase of his house which, in my opinion, was not an honest transaction. A smart investigative reporter should definitely look into that because any objective examination of the facts reveals there was definitely something fishy going on. But that was the only deal Obama ever did. He hasn't done hundreds of deals like very successful people do, where we employ thousands of people and have to manage numerous complex enterprises. So he had an easier go of it.

Mark Burnett, my good friend, partner, and the best producer in television, really wanted me to continue with The Apprentice and not run for president. Mark's big shows are The Apprentice, Survivor, and now the hit show The Voice. He said, "Donald, I think you would be an incredible president, but you are far too successful to run. You've done too many deals and too many things. They'll go after every single deal you've ever done and, even on the best of them, will try to make you look bad."

So essentially, Mark was voicing what I had been saying for the last two years-that a very successful person cannot run for political office (especially the presidency) and isn't that sad, because that's the kind of person and thinking we need to bring the country back.

Either way, when I was leading in the polls, I committed an unforced error. I was asked by a friend to make a speech in Las Vegas in front of a small group. I agreed. A couple hundred people were expected, mostly Republican women, and it was no big deal. Or so I thought. But when they announced that I was going to speak, thousands of people showed up. The owner of the hotel, a great man named Phil Ruffin, one of the smartest investors around, told me it was the most people they had ever packed into the ballroom at the hotel. The place was mobbed. Everybody was happy. They were thrilled, and in the room you had lots of good, tough Las Vegas people who I can't believe will ever vote for Obama, especially after he told people not to go to Las Vegas.

We had thousands of people there, it turned out to be wild, and I made a mistake. I catered to that crowd. They absolutely loved the speech and I used some foul language which, with that crowd, went over phenomenally well. But unfortunately they had cameras in the room, which I didn't see, and only those parts of the speech where I used strong language ended up being shown through our nation.

I wish I hadn't done it. It got a lot of press but some people were turned off by it. I'm not a big curser but it did take place, and I will say the people in the room loved that speech, because we're not living in a baby world. It's a rough, mean world where everybody's out to get everybody else and where other countries are out to get the United States, and they are doing a pretty good job of it. So I got fired up and the crowd did too.

Of course, Joe Biden dropped the f-word in front of the entire media on a stage with the president. But Biden gets a pa.s.s because he's with Obama, and as we all know, Obama can do no wrong in the media's eyes.

In my opinion, our president is totally overrated both as a person and as a campaigner. The press has given a false impression of him as a brilliant student (which he was not), a brilliant leader (which he is not), and a campaigner the likes of which we have not seen in many years. Yet now many Democrats are suffering buyer's remorse and wish they had elected Hillary Clinton instead.

Regardless, the Republicans are going to have a very tough race. Obama is harnessing all of the negativity he created and flipping it back on the people-a very smart, if cynical, strategy. I've never seen anything like it. The guy is willing to rip the country in half to win. Sadly, it may prove to be a winning strategy. If I were doing as badly as he is, I would realize it is my only road to victory.

I love my life and businesses, so I would rather not run for president. When people say I should run as an Independent, I remind them that it's very hard for an Independent to win, though perhaps easier than ever before. Still, if the economy continues to be bad (which I think it will, due to incompetent leaders.h.i.+p) and Republicans pick the wrong candidate (which I hope they won't), I can't completely rule out a run. Most people have never heard of a very stupid law-called equal time-that prevents someone with a major television show from running for political office. So Obama is allowed to go on television every day and can fly around the country any time he wants at taxpayer expense, but I'm not allowed to do The Apprentice and run for office at the same time. You tell me, is that right? Were it not for that ridiculous law I would probably be running for president right now and having a good time doing it-because America has tremendous potential, unbelievable potential, and it is being wasted.

I distinctly remember when I made my decision to sign for another season of The Apprentice, which put my run for the presidency on hold. It was a Friday about 7:00 p.m., and Melania was watching Entertainment Tonight, Access Hollywood, Extra, or one of the various entertainment shows she enjoys and frankly so do I. I sat down at the dinner table with the television blaring and watched as some of the biggest actors and actresses in Hollywood were hoping that their networks would pick up their show for another season. You see, the following Monday, NBC was having its big "Upfront" where they and the other networks announce their schedules for the year. So this was a tough time for actors because they wanted to know if their shows were going to be renewed.

As Melania and I were watching, I'm seeing these big stars saying, "I hope they renew our show, our show is so great, our cast is so amazing, the ratings are okay." Everything was, "I hope, I hope, I hope," and I'm watching these major actors almost begging. That's when I said to my wife, "You know, baby, it's amazing. I have a show that is a big success and I have the president of the network calling me all day long saying, 'Donald, Donald, we want you, we love you.'" In addition to that, I had a great guy named Steve Burke at Comcast saying to me something like, "Donald, we'd like you to renew, we'd like you to go for another season or whatever you want, please renew." So I am saying to myself, here these network executives are calling me on an hourly basis wanting me to renew my contract for another season of a two-hour hit show on primetime Sunday, and I am telling them no and yet I come home and I watch the entertainment shows and all of these big name actors and actresses are hoping beyond hope that they are going to be renewed. At that precise moment I got a call from Steve Burke reiterating the fact that they would love to have me sign the contract. Right then and there I said to my wife, "Baby, you know what? This is ridiculous. I'm going to sign the contract with NBC."

My wife, Melania, who is considered by many, including me, to be one of the most beautiful women in the world, has amazing instincts. For years I would ask her whether or not I could run and win. And she would say, "Donald, people love you, but they wouldn't vote for you for president." When I asked her why, she said, "You're a little wild and a little too controversial. They respect you, they think you're really smart-the smartest of all-but enough people just wouldn't vote for you."

So she told me this for a long period of time and then recently, as she's watching political news on television and seeing all the things that are wrong with our country, she looks at me and says, "Darling, you know you'd win if you ran, don't you?" I said, "What do you mean? You always told me I couldn't win." She said, "But now you could win, and maybe even easily. People really want you. I see it on the streets. People want you and they really need you."

This was a great compliment coming from a very smart woman.

Some people have yet to realize how serious I was and am about running for the White House. In fact I was so close that I had already prepared the Public Financial Disclosure Report required of a presidential candidate. That's a big deal because the Trump Organization is a private company, and people don't know what I'm really worth. So I had the independent firm Predictive, which is used by government agencies and top companies like GM, Visa, Pfizer, and others, prepare valuations on branding, and we filled out the other areas of the long and complex presidential Public Financial Disclosure Report. So my forms were already completed when I told NBC I'd renew. I was ready to sign and submit the papers, which were completed in strict compliance with the instructions. Rather than waste the forms (and who knows, I may be filing them sometime later), I thought I would share the most important three pages with you in this book. These are three of the many pages of the completed submittal. The third summary page is probably the most important.

My primary reason for running for the presidency would be to straighten out the mess Obama has made of our country. I have built a truly great company, one with unbelievable a.s.sets and locations that I believe are about as good as it gets. We have great a.s.set value, cash flow, and very little debt. I want the American people to see this, because ultimately our country is, in a certain way, the exact opposite of my company. And whether it's me or someone else, we need the kind of thinking that can produce this kind of success. For the sophisticated financial people who already know me, these numbers come as no surprise. For the miserable, petty, jealous wannabes who knowingly fabricate stories about me, maybe this will shut them up.

Executive Branch Personnel PUBLIC FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE REPORT Donald J. Trump

Summary of Net Worth

As of June 30, 2010

By the way, in the spirit of transparency, these forms were completed before the very public purchase of the late billionaire John Kluge's winery, which became embroiled in controversy and tens of millions of dollars of debt after his divorce. Now called the Trump Vineyard Estates, the winery is located in one of the best areas in the United States, Charlottesville, Virginia. Trump Vineyard Estates is more than 1,000 acres and has already received a great amount of publicity in the Was.h.i.+ngton and Virginia press and was featured on the cover of Town & Country magazine. Originally, it cost around $150 million to build and a.s.semble. I bought it at auction for $6.2 million in cash. I pride myself on being liquid when few others are. That's one of the reasons I was able to buy the Kluge estate for such a terrific price-cash. There were many people at the foreclosure auction who knew what an amazing a.s.set it was, but they didn't have the cash or would need bank financing at a much higher amount to close the deal. By the way, the reason I have so much cash is that, among other things, I've made some of the best branding deals around, especially recently. If our government were as wise with our nation's cash, we wouldn't be in the big mess we are in today.

Some people think the presidency no longer matters, that the United States is finished. But let me tell you, the president makes all the difference in the world. If we get the right president, our country can become stronger and better and more successful than ever before.

The Republican field has several good candidates in the race-most of whom have come to see me at my office in Trump Tower. The reason they come to see me isn't just because I am a nice person but because millions of people listen to what I say and know I "get it." Some magazines have said I am the single most important endors.e.m.e.nt a presidential candidate can have. I don't know if that's true but it wouldn't surprise me. I don't say that to brag, I just tell it like it is.

It started when Sarah Palin came to Trump Tower. She is a terrific woman and gets an unfair shake from the media. We had a great conversation. She said, "Hey, let's go out for pizza." We did and it was bedlam, with tons of people swarming us. I got criticized because I ate my pizza with a fork. (The truth is, I know how to eat pizza but I was trying to eat as little as possible because I hate gaining weight!) But I really enjoyed my time with Sarah and her family. We caused quite a stir on the streets of New York and especially in front of that pizza parlor. It was wild!

Michele Bachmann came up to my office more than once. She is a real worker bee. She started low, shot to the top of the polls, and then dropped down again, probably because Rick Perry came in and stole a lot of her thunder. But Michele is a wonderful person and no matter what happens with her run for the White House she's got a great political future ahead of her. She's pa.s.sionate about America and a strong protector of traditional values.

When Rick Perry came to see me at Trump Tower we had a great discussion, and then went to Jean Georges Restaurant, probably the best restaurant in New York, which is located on the street level of Trump International Hotel and Tower at One Central Park West. We had an incredible conversation and I found him to be a good and personable guy, much different from what you see in the debates. Since then, I have spoken to him on numerous occasions, and every time I speak to him he is so forceful and strong that I have actually said to him: "Rick, why can't you act this way during the debates?" He said, "Donald, the debates are just not my thing." So I said, "Why don't you pretend you are someplace else? You gotta act different. You are getting killed in the debates." But he repeated, "Donald, they are just not for me." Fair enough. But Rick was severely hurt by what took place in the debates. It was sad to see. The debates are turning out to be much more important in this presidential cycle than in past primaries, and if you don't do well in the debates, it's a long climb back to the top. But again, Rick is a terrific guy with some solid ideas. It will be interesting to see if he can regain his footing.