The Donald: I Do Declare

12/25/1998 at 12:00 AM EST

Donald Trump declared Thursday he is moving toward a run for the U.S. presidency. "I will be forming a presidential exploratory committee," Trump, 53, said on CNN's "Larry King Live." The New York real estate developer and New Jersey casino owner said his top choice as a running mate would be Oprah Winfrey. "She is terrific, " he said. A Winfrey spokesperson said she is not interested. Trump, who claims he'll pay his own campaign expenses, had dinner with Minnesota Gov. Jesse Ventura Thursday. Ventura, leader of the Reform Party, has been recruiting Trump for months to seek his party's nomination -- but after the meal the two men joked to reporters that they were throwing their support behind their dinner companion, actor Woody Harrelson.