I just thought about something!

Involvement in politics, 1988–2015

Trump floated the idea of running for president in 1988, 2004, and 2012, and for Governor of New York in 2006 and 2014, but did not enter those races.[244][245] He was considered as a potential running mate for George H. W. Bush on the Republican Party's 1988 presidential ticket but lost out to future Vice President Dan Quayle. There is dispute over whether Trump or the Bush camp made the initial pitch.[246]

In 1999, Trump filed an exploratory committee to seek the presidential nomination of the Reform Party in 2000.[247][248] A July 1999 poll matching him against likely Republican nominee George W. Bush and likely Democratic nominee Al Gore showed Trump with seven percent support.[249] Trump eventually dropped out of the race due to party infighting, but still won the party's California and Michigan primaries after doing so.

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As Trump publicly speculated about seeking the 2012 Republican presidential nomination, a Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll released in March 2011 found Trump leading among potential contenders, one point ahead of former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney.[255] A Newsweek poll conducted in February 2011 showed Trump within a few points of Barack Obama, with many voters undecided in the November 2012 general election for president of the United States.[256] A poll released in April 2011 by Public Policy Polling showed Trump having a nine-point lead in a potential contest for the Republican nomination for president while he was still actively considering a run.[257][258] His moves were interpreted by some media as possible promotional tools for his reality show The Apprentice.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donald_Trump#Politics