Mr. President? Trump Will Run, Say Pals

The slate of candidates looking to be president next time around is stacking up to be a doozie. Now real estate billionaire Donald Trump says he's "seriously" considering running for the top job because GOP pals are begging him to do it, and because China and North Korea are "laughing" at us. Friends say he'll announce his candidacy when the upcoming Celebrity Apprentice wraps up in June. It's "sad what's happened to the country. We’re no longer a respected nation, and we should be the most respected," the big-haired reality curmudgeon told Newsmax earlier this week, already sounding like a candidate.

Can he change that? "It can be changed very quickly. We have all the cards," he tells Forbes. Trump has never held public office, but polls on his potential candidacy have been encouraging, he said. He also runs successful businesses, has three "capable" kids and doesn't need to raise campaign funds because he already has $7 billion—all of which make running a smart move, he believes. What's the first thing he'd do as president? "I'd have a heart-to-heart talk with OPEC and China," he said. OPEC can't be allowed "to drain the blood out of us," he added. And "I would tax Chinese products in a nanosecond. And they will come to the table in less than a nanosecond." (More 2012 Presidential Candidates stories.)