Trump says he'll "probably" run as independent if not the GOP nominee

Updated at 1 p.m. ET

If Donald Trump were to lose the GOP presidential nomination, he could run for president as an independent -- and he thinks he could win, the business magnate and television personality said Monday.

"I think the Republicans are very concerned that I [may] run as an independent," Trump said in an interview with the Wall Street Journal. "I could also possibly win as an independent, otherwise I wouldn't do it. I'm not doing it for any other reason. I like winning."

Trump said that given the large segment of American voters who now identify as independent voters rather than as Democratic or Republican, "I'm sort of convinced you can actually win nowadays as an independent."

He added, however, that he would have reservations about an independent candidacy because his support comes largely from conservatives, and he does not want to splinter the GOP vote and then lose the election.

"The concern is that if I don't win, will I run as an independent, and the answer is probably yes," he said. "That bothers me only from the standpoint that if I don't win, we're not going to get a Republican, and Obama gets re-elected."

Trump's potential candidacy has been questioned by some who see it as a publicity stunt, especially given that Trump says he cannot officially enter the race until his television show "The Apprentice" is off the air in June.

"I don't need to do this for ratings on 'The Apprentice,'" Trump said. "This is too important, our country is in trouble, our country is not being properly led."

Regardless of how serious his candidacy is, Trump has made headway in recent polls among Republican voters, tying for second place in a recent Wall Street Journal poll with former

Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee and trailing former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney -- who announced the formation of a presidential exploratory committee just yesterday.

"Second's never been great," Trump said, but he added, "I do think the public understands my views."

Update: Trump is now tied with Huckabee for first place at 19 percent when Republicans are asked who they support for the GOP presidential nomination in 2012, according to a new CNN poll.

[san850]

READ THIS: http://factcheck.org/2011/04/donald-youre-fired/

It doesn't matter whether Trump runs as an Independent or not...he has ZERO chances of becoming President, especially after spewing his "birther" nonsense. He's nothing more than a publicity hound.

These birthers must really have a problem recognizing facts and truth....or perhaps just choose not to because of their unbridled hatred for our President.

[mjlewis6]

HAHAHAHAHAHA

He Sounds like Ross Perot, an independent who ran for the highest office. Getting the top office of the land with no gubenatorial, senatorial, congressional experience...???

How about judicial or law enforcement?

Business experience? Oh, another KNOW IT ALL DICK CHENEY type.

Let me know how well you consider the voters having collective bargaining rights and your stand on water torture. See how many votes you get...

HAHAHAHAHAHA

[Jhihmoac]

Given the crazies already courting the GOP ticket...I'm not surprised...

[choiceshaveconsequences]

These Republicans refuse to give us a clean, up or down, vote on anything. I will concede that with Trump as President, bankruptcy as a common, everyday fiscal tool for handling our finances, personal and governmental, would be far more acceptable. We'd replace the American standard with the Welsh standard.

[RobAla]

Trump running as an independent would be dream for liberal Democrats, as it would put President Obama back in office. It would split the conservative vote.

[san850]

I think Trump is just loving pulling folks' chains and wallowing in publicity....he is a bonafide narcissist...this is what they do. I can't see him "running" at all. What would he do with all those skeletons in his closet?

By no means is everyone in the GOP below average in intelligence, but the dumb ones are the ones that play into the birther hands. Trump is rapidly becoming their hero, and I'm sure he will find a way to make big $$$ from it. The longer he can drag this crap out, the more publicity he gets...and he's laughing all the way to the bank. Of course, the other side of the coin is that it certainly is helping President Obama and the Dems as well now that Trump has joined the parade of GOP crackpots.

It's the "Joe The Plumbers" in the GOP base that are most susceptible to this nonsense... the ones who get polled and say "I dunno where that Obama was born but I don't like him and I don't think that he is one of us real Americans with a name like that, and besides everyone wouldn't be talking about this if he wasn't hiding somethin'".

These are the types that, no matter what proof or actual facts you show them, will always follow the herd...and right now their herd leader and idol is Trump. He loves being in charge, in the spotlight, and is one sad piece of humanity.

[ricscore]

The name is not the point, were Obama was born is the point. Nice try on the spin.

[san850]

@ricscore....and you have missed the point completely. You obviously are one of those "followers" who wouldn't believe the truth about President Obama's citizenship if Jesus Christ descended from the heavens and presented it to you. It's called "blind obsession".

[lucifersshadow]

I would not underestimate Trump, as many people here seem to want to do. Not only that, I think that if he ran as an independent, and came to the conclusion that he did not have enough support, rather than be a spoiler, he would drop out of the race and endorse the alternate to Obama. He does not like Obama at all, and I understand why. In his mind, Obama is already "fired".

[jeannettelj]

Let him run as an independent. He will mess it up just enough to get Obama re-elected!!

[stevex47]

If Obama and his cronies, you know, death panels, socialist, nazi, kenyon, why wont ONE republican race to get him out of office.

NOR ONE cowardly republican can make a decision.

Two reality stars, trump and palin, are the best they can put out there?

What happened to the great republican party of my fathers era? Shameful.

[JV1970]

What happened to the great democratic party of MY father's era? Shameful! My Dad was a proud Democrat who thought Franklin Roosevelt could do no wrong! He thought Roosevelt was the savior of this country and he said that Roosevelt brought them out of the Great Depression. Many people said the same thing about Obama. They were wrong! What happened to the great democratic party of my father's era? It doesn't exist anymore!

[ludvig1-2009]

How's that for a threat. Vote for me, or I'll mess up your election chances.