Here’s How 34-Year-Old Donald Trump Responded When Asked if He’d Ever Run for President

Up until 2016, Donald Trump always denied having any desire to run for president of the United States. In one of the videos that resurfaced on Twitter Trump is heard in these decades -old films stating that he had no interest in running for US president. The interview was taped for the 1981 Rona Barrett Looks at Today’s Super Rich NBC TV special.

During the interview, Barrett asked him, “For some people, the ultimate goal in life has been becoming the President of the United States. Would you like to be the President of the United States?” He said at the time, “I really don’t believe I would, Rona. But I would like to see somebody as the president who could do the job, and there are very capable people in this country.” When Barrett pointed out how most people are afraid of politics , Trump replied, “It is a shame. The most capable people are not necessarily running for political office, and that is a very sad commentary on the country. They head major corporations, and they head this and that, but they are not running for political office.”

Barrett further added, “Why wouldn’t someone like yourself run for political office? You have all the money that you possibly need. You’ve accomplished a great deal even though you are only 34. I know there’s a lot of things that you possibly can do in the years ahead. Why wouldn’t you dedicate yourself to public service?” Trump added, “Because I think it’s a very mean life. I would love, and I would dedicate my life to, this country but I see it as being a mean life, and I also see it in somebody with strong views, and somebody with the kind of views that are maybe a little bit unpopular, which may be right, but may be unpopular, wouldn’t necessarily have a chance of getting elected against somebody with no great brain but a big smile. That’s a sad commentary for the political process.” Trump also said that the political process has been harmed by television. He continued, “I mean, the Abraham Lincolns of the world would not probably be not elected today because of televisions and he was not a handsome man and did not smile. He would not be considered to be a prime candidate for the presidency, and that’s a shame, isn’t it?”

Trump made a jest at the conclusion of the interview, saying that if he lost all of his money, he may run for president. When Barrett said, “If you lost your fortune today, what would you do tomorrow?” he replied, “Maybe I’d run for president. I don’t know.” He continued, “No, I’m only kidding. You know when I say that of course I’m being somewhat fictitious. But I have to tell you a lot of people would vote for you if you were in that position because they feel sorry for you, and again I think that’s a very sad commentary, a VERY sad commentary.”