Donald Trump is in: Promises to 'make America great again'

Real estate mogul and TV personality Donald Trump formally announces his bid for the 2016 Republican presidential nomination during an event at Trump Tower in New York.
Real estate mogul and TV personality Donald Trump formally announces his bid for the 2016 Republican presidential nomination during an event at Trump Tower in New York.
Brendan McDermid

Saying that the United States can no longer beat its international competition, Donald Trump announced his candidacy to be the country's next president.

"Our country needs a truly great leader, and we need a truly great leader now," Trump said. He said that rather than being a cheerleader for America, President Obama has been "a negative force."

We need somebody that can take the brand of the United States and make it great again," Trump said. At one point, he also said the country needs a leader who has written The Art of the Deal — his 1987 book.

"I will be the greatest jobs president that God ever created," Trump said after stating his intentions.

Listing the trillions of dollars the U.S. owes to countries such as China and Japan, Trump asked, "How stupid are our leaders?"

After taking the stage to a sustained ovation as the song "Rockin' in the Free World" blared in Trump Tower in New York City, Trump laid out a list of things he would fix if he were in charge, from immigration and America's military and energy strategies to the economy.

"Our enemies are getting stronger and stronger by the day, and we as a country are getting weaker," Trump said.

Taking a shot at the current administration, Trump said, "We have been sold the big lie: Obamacare."

He added that he would replace the plan with something better.

To learn more about Trump's background and his politics, check out the post 5 Things You Should Know About Donald Trump by our pals at It's All Politics. Earlier Tuesday, Trump repeatedly promoted his announcement on Periscope, the live-streaming service that specializes in mobile devices. Copyright 2019 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.