Real estate mogul and reality television host Donald Trump is once again considering a run for the White House.

The 68-year-old said in an interview on Wednesday that he is "more serious" than ever about pursuing his presidential ambitions.

"Everybody feels I'm doing this just to have fun or because it's good for the brand," Trump told the Washington Post. "Well, it's not fun. I'm not doing this for enjoyment. I'm doing this because the country is in serious trouble."

Trump had briefly considered a White House bid in 2011 but then decided against it. He has been outspoken on political issues in recent years, though his role has been chiefly that of a "provocateur on the sidelines" of the Republican field, according to Washington Post.

"I am more serious about this than I've ever been before," he continued. "... we'll be announcing soon because I'm serious and I want to focus on making America great again. I don't need to be out there raising money."

The billionaire is known to flirt with "birtherism," the assertion that Barack Obama is not a natural-born citizen of the United States and thus constitutionally ineligible to serve as president. In myriad remarks, Trump has questioned Obama's credentials and love of country,.

Many Republicans, meanwhile, are skeptical about a possible Trump campaign.

Thomas D. Rath, a former attorney general in New Hampshire, said the notion of the entrepreneur being elected president is "pretty remote." Trump has served as executive producer and host of the NBC reality show "The Apprentice" since 2003. Hyped as "the ultimate job interview", the program pits 16 to 18 business people against one another in an elimination competition.

"It's a free country and he can do whatever he wants with his money." Rath said. "(But) running for president shouldn't be a reality show that you watch once a week."

Polls, meanwhile, show that Trump is not particularly popular among Republican voters, the Christian Science Monitor points out In the crucial, first-in-the-nation caucus state of Iowa, 68 percent of GOP supporters have a non-favorable opinion of the businessman. Only 26 percent of them view Trump in a positive light. In New Hampshire, which holds the country's first primary, the potential candidate fails to gain approval from 69 percent of Republicans.

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