Ron Paul launches 2012 presidential campaign bid during appearance on ‘Good Morning America’

Texas congressman Ron Paul appeared on ABC’s Good Morning America from New Hampshire on Friday to launch his 2012 presidential campaign bid.

“At this moment, I’m officially announcing that I am a candidate for president in the Republican primary,” Paul, 75, told GMA’s George Stephanopoulos.

“The time has come around to the point where the people are agreeing with much of what I’ve been saying for 30 years, so I think the time is right.”

Paul, who is known as the intellectual godfather of the Tea Party, previously ran for president as the Libertarian nominee in 1988 and as a Republican candidate in 2008. While he is relatively popular among younger voters, recent polls reveal that he remains in the high single-digits, Reuters reports.

“Coming in No. 1 in the Republican primary is an absolute possibility many, many times better than it was four years ago,” Paul added.

When Stephanopoulos questioned Paul about various hot-button political issues, he displayed his willingness to spark controversy by coming out against the procedure in Pakistan that resulted in Osama bin Laden’s death as well as federal relief for victims of flooding.

Paul’s announcement comes just days after former House Speaker Newt Gingrich formally entered the field of politicians vying for the GOP’s presidential nomination.

You can watch Paul's interview with Stephanopoulos after the jump, courtesy of ABC News' YouTube page.