After flirting with the idea of running for president at least four times in the past, billionaire businessman Donald Trump is officially a Republican candidate for president in 2016.

Trump, 69, made the announcement at the Trump Tower in New York City on Tuesday. A crowd gathered in the lobby chanted “We Want Trump!” as he entered to “Rockin’ In The Free World” by Neil Young.

“Ladies and gentleman, I’m officially running for president of the United States, and we are going to make America Great Again!” he said.

In a nearly 50 minute speech, he offered a sharp critique of current policy, including shots at current foreign policy, plans to take care of unfunded mandates, Obamacare and politicians being controlled by special interests.

“Sadly, the American Dream is dead — but if I get elected president, I will bring it back. Bigger and better and stronger than ever before,” Trump said.

The real estate mogul known for his business role as chairman of The Trump Organization and an entertainment role as host of NBC’s reality show “The Apprentice” has been looking at a 2016 run for several years, but many remained skeptical he would actually run, citing his past interest in 1988, 2000, 2004 and 2012 before deciding against it. Trump also considered a run for governor of New York in 2014.

Trump is scheduled to be in Iowa Tuesday night for an event at the Hoyt Sherman Place in Des Moines. 

In politics, Trump is known as an outspoken conservative and has been highly critical of President Barack Obama. He has traveled to early voting states, including Iowa, where he spoke at Steve King’s “Iowa Freedom Summit” in January, the Iowa Republican Party’s “Lincoln Dinner” in May, and at several of his own events around the state.

Trump does register in 2016 polls, with 4 percent of likely Iowa caucus voters saying he is their first choice in the latest Des Moines Register/Bloomberg Politics “Iowa Poll.” Trump also points to high numbers in New Hampshire, where an average of polls by Real Clear Politics shows him in fifth place with more than 8 percent support, only behind Govs. Jeb Bush and Scott Walker, and U.S. Sens. Rand Paul and Marco Rubio.

The same Iowa Poll that showed him tied with New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie at 4 percent may show his biggest problem going forward though, with 58 percent of likely Republican voters saying they would “never” support him in the race.

Mack Shelley, a professor of political science at ISU, said Trump’s lack of executive experience might be to blame for that high percentage of voters not considering him.

“In the private sector, you’re pretty much the boss and no one can second guess you, but when you’re president you can be second guessed by Congress or courts,” Shelley said. “Chief executives in the private sector don’t think of themselves as being subjected to those constraints, so I think Trump probably is getting in with a truncated perspective on what public service is like. He hasn’t done that before — holding elected office.”

But as a “well established” CEO with the amount of wealth Trump has, Shelley said he has an advantage of being able to self-fund at least a portion of his campaign, which will give him freedom to run it as he pleases.

Trump has been operating an exploratory committee while he has pondered running, and has hired staff in early states.

Trump joins 12 other Republicans in a crowded primary. Bush joined the race Monday, and several more, including Christie, Walker, and Govs. Bobby Jindal and John Kasich are expected to jump in during the next month.