Real estate mogul Donald Trump says he will not run for the U.S. presidency, ending months of speculation on his intentions.
In a statement Monday, Trump said business is his greatest passion and he is not ready to leave the private sector. He said the decision does not come “easily or without regret.”
Trump, who had surged recently in polls among possible Republican presidential contenders, was vocal in the so-called “birther” movement questioning whether President Barack Obama was born in the United States. President Obama recently released a detailed birth certificate to end what he described as “silliness.”
Trump, a reality television star, is the second prominent Republican to say he is not running for president. Former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee said Saturday he is not making a bid for the 2012 contest.