Donald Trump may announce candidacy for president

After flirting with the idea for years, "The Donald" may be announcing his campaign for the presidency on Tuesday.

Real estate mogul Donald Trump is scheduled to make a major announcement Tuesday. While it could be that he's launching a new spin-off of "The Apprentice," the Washington Post reports he will also be releasing a summary of his financial assets, further signaling that he is likely entering the race for 2016 Republican nominee for president. The release would provide a first glimpse into Trump's nine billion dollar empire.

The 69-year-old television personality has been hiring campaign staff in key early primary states including Iowa and New Hampshire, and he teased a crowd of Iowans about his announcement earlier this month.

"'On the 16th I'll be making an announcement, and I think certainly the people in this room - I think a lot of people - are going to be very very happy with what I have to say," he said.

While it's unclear if he's poised to enter the race, he spent time on Monday responding to Twitter supporters calling for him to run.

Trump will make Tuesday's announcement at a rally at his Trump Tower in New York City. He will then travel to Iowa, and then to New Hampshire on Wednesday.

If Trump does in fact announce his candidacy, he will be the wealthiest current Republican presidential candidate.

The Republican field for 2016 is already large and growing, but it appears he could reach the popularity threshold to participate in the first major debate scheduled for August. People on social media have been very positive about Trump's potential run.

"Selfishly, the networks would put me on because I get great ratings," Trump told The Associated Press in a recent interview.