Donald Trump: 'Kanye West - I love him'

Real-estate developer Donald Trump doubled down on his recent praise for Kanye West during a Thursday press conference in which he declared he wouldn't launch a third-party 2016 presidential run.

While taking questions on a wide range of topics, the Republican businessman declared that he has nothing but "love" for the sometimes controversial rapper.

"I'll never say bad [things] about him. You know why? Because he loves Trump. He loves Trump. He goes around saying, 'Trump is my all-time hero.' He says it to everybody. So Kanye West - I love him," Trump said.

West questionably declared his plans to run for president in 2020 during Sunday's MTV VMA awards. Trump suggested that he might have to compete against West during his reelection campaign.

"Now maybe in a few years I'll have to run against him, I don't know. So I'll take that [praise] back," he joked.

Trump frequently blasts media figures and his Republican rivals on the campaign trail, but he said Thursday that he's a "counter puncher."

Aaccordingly, Trump said he wouldn't say anything nasty about West since the rapper has been praising him.

"He's been so nice to me," he said. "I only hit people when they hit me - only. And Kanye West has been so great. I would never say bad [things] about him."