Donald Trump finally stopped being coy and just came out with it: He's running for the Republican nomination.

In a rambling, bombastic, and self-aggrandizing 45-minute burst of nouns and verbs interspersed with dire predictions and pronouncements, Trump claimed his rightful spot in the 2016 Clown Car.

“Our country needs a truly great leader, and we need a great leader now,” Trump said. “We also need a cheerleader.” The real estate mogul and reality star admitted that he thought President Obama could have been a good cheerleader for the nation when he was elected in 2008, but failed to lead.

“Our country is in serious trouble, we don’t have victories anymore,” Trump said to a raucous crowd while detailing what he considers America’s diminished standing compared to nations like China. “I beat China all the time,” he added.

But he did invite President Obama to play on one of his golf courses. How generous of him.

Listening to Trump's speech was a little like going to a party with That Guy who has done everything, done everything better than anyone else, knows it all, and knows nothing.

Trump will "save Medicare and Social Security" by "bringing money back to the United States," too. However, he lacked any specific ideas on how that was to be done. On the other hand, he wants to dump Common Core, expand health care coverage "really cheaply," and build a "really big wall" (he builds the "best walls," too) on the southern border of the United States to keep those Mexicans out.

You get the idea.

When your net worth is $9 billion -- or at least, that's what you claim -- I suppose taking a vanity run at the United States presidency isn't such a big thing.

The DNC's release following his announcement was classic:

“Today, Donald Trump became the second major Republican candidate to announce for president in two days. He adds some much-needed seriousness that has previously been lacking from the GOP field, and we look forward to hearing more about his ideas for the nation.“

Troll Nation, 2016.
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