Donald Trump: 'I have more in common with Obama'

Donald Trump

Billionaire developer and potential independent candidate Donald Trump says he has "more in common" with President Obama than people think, and he believes he would draw votes away from the current White House occupant if he decides to jump into the 2012 presidential race.

Some Republicans have feared a Trump candidacy, believing his presence would siphon enough votes away from the GOP nominee to result in another four years of Obama in office.

Appearing on Chicago's WLS Radio today, Trump indicated he did not think he'd be a spoiler for the Republicans if he decided to toss his hat into the ring.

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"Frankly, if I ran," said Trump, "I really believe I'd get a lot of Obama supporters that wouldn't vote necessarily for somebody else. I think I have more in common with Obama than people think in terms of the voter and the voter profile. I'd take a lot from Obama – much more than people think – and I'd get a lot of independent votes."

When Trump was asked if he thought Republican candidates Mitt Romney or Newt Gingrich could defeat the president next November, he responded:

I think both could beat him. I think if all of the winds are going in the right direction. Look, Obama's got a disaster. Our real unemployment number is 21 percent. It's not 8.6. Everybody smiled last week when the number went down to 8.6, but 315,000 people left the workforce and they don't include them because they gave up looking for a job. You know these numbers are really set-up, phony numbers the way they do the unemployment. But the real unemployment number is 21 percent. And I see it out there. I look at it. Nobody has a job! He is meant to be beaten. He can be beaten by the right person, and it'll be very interesting to see, and by the way an independent absolutely win.

Trump said he expects to endorse a Republican candidate for the presidency as the nomination process continues.

"It's very important that Obama be beaten. I hope to endorse a successful candidate, but the only time I'd run is if they pick somebody that I think is inappropriate or won't do the job."

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