The potential for a third party presidential run from billionaire developer and reality TV star Donald Trump may be closer to becoming a reality show of its own.
The Blaze received a copy of a confidential email sent out late Thursday afternoon from a Florida Tea Party leader and personal friend of Trump. The email requested assistance in building a team in Texas to make certain that, if Trump chooses to run, his name would be on the ballot.
The email included:
Dear Patriot Leader,
I am a tea party leader in Florida and friend of Donald Trump. I am sure you have heard on the news that Mr. Trump is considering a run as an independent. He has asked me to find a “tea party” Texas Chairman for a potential third party by next week. The role requires a Texas voter registration and is due to the voting laws in Texas. The person would not have to change their party affiliation or anything. Would you or do you know of any Texan that would be interested?
The Blaze has spoken with the author of the letter and confirmed its authenticity.
Some restrictive election laws that make it difficult for non-traditional political hopefuls (those outside of the Republican and Democratic parties) to get on the ballot in Texas are cited as the cause of this request. This early work, needed to assure that a candidate is on the ballot in Texas, is also sparking similar investigation in several states. One assumes that should Trump decide to run for the presidency this fall, his name will be on the ballot in every state.
We stress that Trump has not made a formal decision to run as a third party candidate. However his recent voter registration change from Republican to independent certainly raises eyebrows and lends credibility to all of the chatter about his intentions.