Donald J. Trump, the garrulous real estate developer whose name has adorned apartment buildings, hotels, Trump-brand neckties and Trump-brand steaks, announced on Tuesday his entry into the 2016 presidential race, brandishing his wealth and fame as chief qualifications in an improbable quest for the Republican nomination.
Mr. Trump declared his candidacy in the atrium of Trump Tower, the luxury skyscraper on Fifth Avenue in New York City, saying, “We need somebody that can take the brand of the United States and make it great again.” Proclaiming that he will be “the greatest jobs president that God ever created,” he said he will restore America’s economic primacy as he repeatedly assailed the behavior of China.
Mr. Trump, 69, has long toyed with running for president, boasting of his credentials as an entrepreneur and mocking the accomplishments of prominent elected officials. He has used the platform of a reality television show, NBC’s “The Apprentice,” to burnish his pop-culture image as a formidable man of affairs.
It seems a remote prospect that Republicans, stung in 2012 by the caricature of their nominee, Mitt Romney, as a pampered and politically tone-deaf financier, would rebound by nominating a real estate magnate who has published books with titles such as, “Think Like a Billionaire” and “Midas Touch: Why Some Entrepreneurs Get Rich — And Why Most Don’t.”
But Mr. Trump, who has never held elected office, may not be so easily confined to the margins of the 2016 campaign. Thanks to his enormous media profile, he stands a good chance of qualifying for nationally televised debates, where his appetite for combat and skill at playing to the gallery could make him a powerfully disruptive presence.
In the past, Mr. Trump’s presidential posturing has seldom been taken seriously, and for good reason: Ahead of the 2000 and 2012 elections, Mr. Trump twice hyped up the possibility of seeking the White House before abandoning the idea. And this time, there is widespread suspicion that he is entering the race just to appear in the debates.
Mr. Trump and his allies insist that he is serious about this race. He intends to release a financial statement sketching out his net worth in broad, perhaps generous terms, although it is unclear whether he will make a more complete disclosure of tax returns as required of candidates. Associates say Mr. Trump is willing, even eager, to spend his fortune in the race, and has hired staff in the early nominating states.
“He has said a couple of times that he could easily put $100 million into the race and that he feels that would not impact him financially,” said Christopher Ruddy, a friend of Mr. Trump’s.
Mr. Ruddy, who is chief executive of Newsmax, the conservative magazine and website, said Mr. Trump would bring an unaccustomed level of glamour to the Republican field.
“He’s got that celebrity status,” Mr. Ruddy said. “Republicans sort of crave that, because we don’t have it, generally.”
Geraldo Rivera, the veteran broadcaster who was a finalist on the reality show “Celebrity Apprentice,” said Mr. Trump would quickly leave a mark on the race thanks to his ability as a showman.
“Right now, Jeb Bush is announcing,” Mr. Rivera said Monday afternoon. “Who would you rather watch, him or Trump?”
But as well known as he is, Mr. Trump is also widely disliked: A recent Quinnipiac University poll found that about seven in 10 voters nationally hold an unfavorable view of him, including 52 percent of Republicans.
Mr. Trump has shown he is eager to scuffle with other Republicans, including Mr. Bush. He has spoken contemptuously, in public and private, about the former Florida governor, as well as other candidates, such as Carly Fiorina, the former Hewlett-Packard chief executive whose business credentials he has impugned.
“The last thing we need right now,” Mr. Trump told ABC News in December, “is another Bush.”
Mr. Trump’s policy views can be just as provocative as his demeanor. He calls climate change “a hoax” and says he has a “foolproof” plan to defeat the Islamic State that he will not reveal so as not to tip off the group.
But until now, he may be best known politically for his outspoken skepticism that President Obama was born in the United States. After his insistent demands during the 2012 race that Mr. Obama release his birth certificate, the president ultimately did just that, confirming he was born in Hawaii.
Mr. Trump has donated money to both parties, including to Democrats such as Hillary Rodham Clinton. When Mr. Trump entertained a presidential bid in 2012, the conservative Club for Growth labeled him a liberal for his views on trade and his past support for universal health care, and accused him of having exploited government powers, including the use of eminent domain, to expand his real estate holdings.
If Mr. Trump’s ideology has proved flexible, the cornerstone of his worldview has not: He has consistently been a passionate believer in Donald Trump, and his own capacity to bully and badger his way into the best possible deal. That skill set, Mr. Trump has argued, would be an asset to America.
In a recent interview with The Des Moines Register, Mr. Trump described himself as “the most successful person ever to run” for president.
“Ross Perot isn’t successful like me,” he told the Iowa newspaper. “Romney — I have a Gucci store that’s worth more than Romney.”