The Hill News

Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich (R-Ga.) says he is taking the necessary steps and will come to a final decision in a matter of weeks.

A day after an event in which he was expected to announce the formation of an exploratory committee but, instead, only unveiled a new website, Gingrich appeared on Fox News's Sean Hannity where Gingrich said he had begun the exploratory process and, at the end, he would be in the 2012 presidential race.

"My expectation is that by the end of this exploratory process that we'll have an announcement and we'll be in the race," Gingrich said. " We are still in the process of wrapping up several things in our businesses."

Gingrich estimated that it would be a number of weeks before he formally made a final decision about running for president.

"I think it's gonna take a fair amount of time. At least a number of weeks, maybe six or seven," Gingrich continued.

On Thursday Gingrich appeared at an event with Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal (R) in Atlanta where former House Speaker was expected to announce the formation of an exploratory committee for the presidency. Instead Gingrich's single announcement was the unveiling of a new website: NewtExplore2012.com. Gingrich said at the event that he would examine a presidential run "very seriously" at the event.