Trump, who has flirted with the idea of a third term in the past, told reporters on board Air Force One that he “would love” to run again.
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump has once again refused to rule out running for a third term in 2028.
Trump, who has flirted with the idea of a third term in the past, told reporters on board Air Force One that he “would love” to run again.
“Am I not ruling it out? You’ll have to tell me,” Trump said when pressed by reporters. “All I can tell you is that we have a great, a great group of people, which they don’t.”
Constitutional scholars and legal experts have repeatedly said Trump legally can not run for president again.
Trump did appear to rule out the idea of running for vice president in 2028 as a way to return to the White House.
The Republican president claimed he would be allowed to do it, but would not seek it because it’s “too cute.”
“I guess I think it’s too cute. Yeah, I would rule that out because it’s too cute,” he said. “I think people wouldn’t like that. It’s too cute. It wouldn’t be right.”
While rejecting the idea, Trump appeared to set the stage for what could be the future of the Republican Party in the 2028 presidential election. He praised Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Vice President JD Vance as potential candidates.
“I’m not sure if anybody would run against those two. I think if they ever formed a group, it would be unstoppable,” he said on Air Force One during his trip to Asia.
Trump’s latest comments come days after Stephen Bannon, a Trump ally, renewed the idea that the president could serve a third term, despite constitutional barriers that prevent him from seeking a third term in office.
“He’s going to get a third term. Trump is going to be president in ’28 and people ought to get accommodated with that,” Bannon said in a video interview with the Economist last week. “There’s many different alternatives. At the appropriate time, we’ll lay out what the plan is, but there is a plan and Trump will be the president in ’28.”
Trump and those around him have previously teased a potential 2028 campaign. Back in April, the Trump organization began selling “Trump 2028” hats.
Can Donald Trump run for a third term?
The U.S. Constitution’s 22nd Amendment explicitly states that “no person shall be elected to the office of the President more than twice.” The amendment was ratified in 1951, following President Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s unprecedented four electoral victories. Roosevelt, who died at age 63 on April 12, 1945, did not complete his fourth term, passing away before the 100th day of that administration.
The president has previously suggested he was exploring ways to circumvent these limitations. When questioned about the constitutional hurdle, Trump told NBC News that he is “not joking” about the possibility, stating that “there are methods which you could do it.”
Constitutional scholars and legal experts widely disagree. They say that Trump seeking a third term would require either a constitutional amendment or a novel legal interpretation that would likely face significant challenges in court.
Trump received MRI
During Trump’s comments on Air Force One, the president also revealed he received an MRI scan during a recent trip to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center.
While Trump said the MRI “was perfect,” it was the first time he has provided a reason for his second medical exam this year.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.