Fred Thompson appears on "Tonight Show"

Jay Leno interviewed former Tennessee Senator Fred Thompson Tuesday for a "Tonight Show" segment.

Thompson did not make an official announcement regarding a run for the presidency.

But early in the interview, Leno asked Thompson, "Would you like the job of the president of the United States?"

Thompson replied, "I've never craved the job of president. But I want to do some things that only a president can do. So the answer is yes."

The audience applauded.

Thompson said he has formed a testing-the-waters committee to allow him to raise a little money.

Thompson served eight years in the Senate.

"I put term limits on myself, for one thing. I never planned on spending a career in Washington," Thompson said. "I often said after 8 years in Washington I longed for the realism and sincerity of Hollywood."

Thompson recently announced he is leaving his acting job as a district attorney on the show "Law and Order."

"The Tonight Show with Jay Leno" airs weeknights at 11:35 p.m.