Forbes: Stewart Rahr’s newest pursuit is convincing Trump to challenge Obama in 2012

WHITESTONE, N.Y. — Fresh from securing a deal to sell his company to Cardinal Health for $1.3 billion, Kinray owner, president and CEO Stewart Rahr is turning more attention to his crusade to promote his friend Donald Trump as a candidate for president in 2012.

So reported Forbes magazine in its online edition. Forbes, which ranked Rahr as the 170th most wealthy American, reported that the colorful and well-connected billionaire is working hard to convince "The Donald" to run for the nation’s highest office.

Rahr agreed in November to sell Kinray, the nation’s top independently owned drug wholesaler, to Cardinal. The deal, expected to close early next year, presumably will leave Kinray’s former owner more time to devote himself to philanthropy — among other charitable pursuits, he is the largest donor behind the Make-A-Wish Foundation — and to back Trump as a Republican presidential candidate.

Among other actions, Rahr has lent his support to a newly launched website, ShouldTrumpRun.com, and issued a statement that seeks to solicit input and potential support for a presidential run by his friend. In that solicitation, he calls Trump “a natural born leader with outstanding ability to inspire others and to accomplish impossible tasks.” He also cited an independent poll from News Max to assert that Trump could win in a head-to-head contest versus President Barack Obama in 2012.

“This is only a starting point to evaluate in the immediate future the possibility that Mr. Trump would entertain running for the office of president of the United States,” Rahr told supporters. “Please join me in trying to convince Donald to consider running for this high office.”

In an interview with ABC News correspondent George Stephanopoulos, Trump described himself as a Republican, and said that if he decided to run, it would be as a Republican. He added, “I’m going to make a decision probably by June [of 2011].” Among the issues he’d champion: a more assertive stance with China, which he declared is gaining the upper hand against the United States in such areas as manufacturing and job creation. “I’m passionate about the country,” Trump told Stephanopoulos.