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Kelly Ripa Tried to Talk Donald Trump Out of Running for President: ‘Why Would You Want to Do That?’

A decade before he was elected, Kelly Ripa tried to talk Donald Trump out of running for president. During an appearance on Late Night With Seth Meyers on Tuesday, July 25, Ripa, 46, recalled a conversation she had with Trump, 71, when he guest-hosted her show in 2006.

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“You know what’s crazy, he was talking about running for president then. Then! And I remember actively having this conversation with him,” the Live With Kelly and Ryan host recalled. “He said, ‘Everybody wants me to run for president,’ and I said, ‘Who?!’”

Kelly Ripa and Donald Trump
Kelly Ripa and Donald Trump

Ripa explained that she tried to convince Trump that he wouldn’t be able to maintain his lavish lifestyle in the Oval Office. “I said, ‘But why would you want to do that? Why would you want to give up your life, which is so good?’” she told Meyers. “‘You’re not going to be able to go to Florida anymore. You’re not going to be able to golf every weekend.’“

Ripa added with a laugh: “And I was wrong! You can do that!”

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As for Trump’s demeanor on her show, Ripa explained that the businessman was nothing but confident as he sat in the hosting chair: “He came out and he was like, ‘This is going to be the biggest-rated show you ever had in your life.’”

Meyers then asked Ripa if she heard from the president after impersonating him for Halloween last year with a wig and exaggerated tan, mocking some of his notable speeches. “I didn’t get any feedback from him,” she said. “Which I was thankful for.

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