Trump rules out third term bid, cites constitutional limit

President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that he is “not allowed” to run for a third term, acknowledging the constitutional limits on US presidential tenure.

Trump and his supporters have repeatedly floated the idea of a 2028 presidential run for the 79-year-old, drawing concern from critics and cheers from loyalists.

“I have my highest poll numbers that I’ve ever had, and you know, based on what I read, I guess I’m not allowed to run, so we’ll see what happens… It’s too bad,” Trump said aboard Air Force One.

The US Constitution restricts presidents to two terms. Trump began his second term in January.

The former president, who previously served from 2017 to 2021, has often remarked that some of his supporters want him to govern beyond his current tenure, despite the constitutional prohibition.

He has also recently displayed red hats emblazoned with the slogan “Trump 2028” on a desk in the Oval Office.

A popular theory among his supporters suggests that Vice President JD Vance could run for president in 2028 on a ticket with Trump.

Trump dismissed that idea this week and on Wednesday said it was “pretty clear” he could not run again.

“But we have a lot of great people,” he added.

House Speaker Mike Johnson told reporters at a news conference at the Capitol on Tuesday that he had discussed the matter with Trump but saw no path forward for a third term.

“It’s been a great run, but I think the president knows — and he and I have talked about — the constrictions of the Constitution,” Johnson said.

“There is the 22nd Amendment,” he added, noting that while Trump enjoys teasing Democrats with “Trump 2028” slogans and hats, the Constitution is explicit.

“I don’t see a way to amend the Constitution because it takes about 10 years,” Johnson said. “You’d need two-thirds of Congress and three-fourths of the states to ratify it. I don’t see the path for that.”

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Talk of a potential third term resurfaced after Steve Bannon, Trump’s former adviser and a key figure in the Make America Great Again movement, claimed last week that “there is a plan” to keep Trump in the White House.

“He is going to get a third term… Trump is going to be president in ’28. And people just ought to get accommodated with that,” Bannon told The Economist.

Asked about the 22nd Amendment, which limits presidents to two terms, Bannon replied: “There are many different alternatives. At the appropriate time, we’ll lay out what the plan is.”

AFP