WASHINGTON — Business mogul Donald Trump told a group of conservative activists Saturday that he was "seriously thinking" about running for United States president in 2016.
Trump was among the possible candidates attending a summit in Iowa, which holds the first contest in the series of intra-party votes that US political parties use to chose their presidential candidates.
"I know what needs to be done to make America great again. We can make this country great again. The potential is enormous and I am seriously thinking of running for president," he said.
Trump publicly weighed a run during the last election, but did not. He has drawn fire for advocating conspiracy theories about US President Barack Obama, alleging that he was not born in the United States and therefore ineligible to serve as president.
The gathering also featured politicians considered to be more serious candidates for the Republican Party nomination, including New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker, Senator Ted Cruz and former Texas governor Rick Perry.
Notably absent were two candidates considered favourites of the party establishment - former Florida governor Jeb Bush, who is the only candidate so far to take formal steps toward running, and Mitt Romney, the party's 2012 candidate who lost to Obama and has said he is weighing another candidacy.
Bush is the brother of former president George W Bush and son of former president George HW Bush.