Donald Trump, the US property magnate and reality television host, has declared his interest in running for President, saying that “somebody has to do something, because we are losing this country”.

The man with one of the most perplexing hairstyles in America has been tempted to consider ploughing his billions into a White House bid by what is a wide open Republican field.

Despite fierce opposition on the right to President Barack Obama and his Democratic colleagues, no strong challenger has yet emerged for the 2012 election.

Mr Trump (64) said: “I've had so many people over the years ask me to do that (run for President) and for the first time in my life I am absolutely thinking about it.”