Seven Things to Consider if Donald Trump Runs for President

Donald Trump, the billionaire real-state mogul who just happens to have his own reality tv show, is considering a run for president in 2012. If early poll numbers are correct, it appears Republican voters might be considering Trump, as well. A new poll released Friday shows the finely coiffed Trump leading the potential GOP pack with 26 percent of the vote, well ahead of his potential challengers Mike Huckabee (17%), Mitt Romney (15%) and Newt Gingrich (11%). Trump is expected to decide whether or not to formally seek the presidency in June, when his "Celebrity Apprentice" show ends. If he were to announce he is running for office before then, NBC would have to cancel the remainder of the season, per election law. While Trump may just be using the platform of running for president as a ruse to drum up interest in his show, some signs indicate that he might be serious about taking on President Barack Obama in 2012. If he does, in fact, run, here are seven market-related things to consider. 1. If Trump does run for president, he will have to do one thing that's always been against his nature: file a personal financial disclosure report. Ahead of that filing would almost certainly come some selling of assets, both to hide any politically embarrassing holdings as well as to raise cash to fund his White House ambitions. This could provide a buying opportunity, if his need to sell drives his asking price down. 2. Trump's biggest issue thus far has been his contention that Barack Obama was not born in Hawaii, and therefore is not eligible to be/run for President. It's a big issue among Republican primary voters -- so much so that one company is now marketing a "Find Obama's Birth Certificate" tour in Hawaii. That might be worth looking in to, if we're going to spend the next 18 months talking about birth certificates. 3. Donald Trump has also called for an end to policies that allow other nations to rack up trade advantages over America, particularly China. This could go either way. On the one hand, some would argue that stoking protectionist fires will ultimately backfire on America, as trade wars would wipe out sales of export goods and cheap import prices. On the other hand, fairer trade might bring manufacturing jobs back to America, leading to a boom in that sector. 4. Trump will also focus his campaign on the debt and deficit, presumably without a hint of irony. Lowering the federal debt burden would improve interest rates and perhaps bring investors back from gold, where many have flocked to hide from inflation. 5. If previous positions are any indication, Trump might be more pragmatic and less ideological than other Republicans on health care. Health insurance companies might take a hit if he sticks with his original position in favor of a national health care plan. Almost any solution Trump would find acceptable will involve spending less money on health care, making insurance companies perhaps a sector to investigate. 6. Trump also has a relative amount experience with bankruptcy, so if he runs for President, perhaps he'll argue in favor of defaulting on our national debt and simply declaring bankruptcy. If that were to happen interest rates would skyrocket, credit would tighten, and we'd probably hit another recession. On the plus side? No more fighting in washington over how to pay down the debt. 7. Of course, if Trump runs, he might win. In that unlikely scenario, one might consider buying stock in emergency supplies, canned goods, flashlights, locust repellent and, of course, zombie spray...for the end is nigh.