Trump considered running for governor of New York before he ran for president

Donald Trump told donors Monday afternoon that he considered running for governor of New York before landing on a presidential run.

"@realDonaldTrump tells donors he thought about running for governor of New York, then decided to run for @POTUS," Reuters' Jeff Mason tweeted.

The New York Times' Shane Goldmacher said Trump made the comment as a joke during a closed-door event in Utica, New York. At that same event, Trump also criticized Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand without using her name, calling her "very aggressive on contributions."

Trump's successful presidential bid in 2016 wasn't Trump's first time running for the nation's highest office. He also ran in 2000 under Ross Perot's Reform Party and claimed he considered running as a Republican in 1988.