Donald Trump Considering Independent Presidential Run Donald Trump, who has been considering a Republican presidential bid, now says he is considering running in the 2012 election as an independent candidate. In remarks made to the Wall Street Journal, the billionaire businessman and reality show star suggested that there was "concern" among Republicans that he might run as an independent if he does not win the GOP nomination. He also said that he "probably" would run as an Independent -- and that he believes he can win. "I think the Republicans are very concerned that I [may] run as an Independent," Trump told the Journal, which published the remarks Tuesday. "I am very conservative," he continued. "The concern is if I don't win [the GOP primary] will I run as an Independent, and I think the answer is probably yes." The concern could be well-founded. Although seen as an attention-grabbing gimmick in the days surrounding the CPAC conference due to the proximity of the premiere of his reality show, "Celebrity Apprentice," the outspoken New York businessman has been rising in the polls. A recent NBC/Wall Street Journal poll found him trailing Republican frontrunner former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney by only 4 percentage points, tied with the popular former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee. And an independent Trump as a third party hopeful in the 2012 campaign could virtually torpedo whichever GOP candidate will be chosen, siphoning off just enough or more than enough conservative votes to ensure a victory for the Democratic incumbent in the national election. Or -- he could win.