Businessman and reality TV personality Donald Trump is reportedly gearing up to launch a presidential exploratory committee Wednesday, a senior adviser told the New Hampshire Union Leader.
Trump began signaling last month that he was seriously considering a 2016 presidential bid. Ahead of a possible run, Trump addressed conservative activists last month at the Conservative Political Action Committee, where he sought to present himself as a Washington outsider with the business acumen to run the country.
"Washington is totally broken and it's not going to get fixed unless we put the right person in that top position. It's just not going to happen," he said at the time. "I'm not a politician, thank goodness. Politicians are all talk, no action. I’ve dealt with them all my life."
The Union Leader also reports that Trump will walk away from his hit reality show, “The Apprentice,” in order to focus on his presidential bid. The report also said Trump has begun hiring staff.
Despite his enviable name recognition and powerful brand, Trump has struggled to be taken seriously in the political arena. That is at least in part due to his high-profile feuds with various celebrities and politicians.
During Trump’s speech at CPAC, the businessman repeated past accusations that President Obama may not have been born in the United States during a question and answer session with Sean Hannity. Obama was born in Hawaii, and released his birth certificate in 2011.