President says he’d “love” another term while dismissing constitutional workaround floated by supporters
ABOARD AIR FORCE ONE — President Donald Trump left the door open to pursuing an unprecedented third term in office during his Asia trip this week, though he firmly rejected a creative – if legally dubious – scheme involving the vice presidency.
“I’d love to do it,” the 79-year-old president told reporters traveling with him from Malaysia to Japan, when asked about seeking another term beyond 2028. “I haven’t really thought about it. But I have the best poll numbers that I’ve ever had.”
The comments come amid growing speculation about Trump’s political future and renewed debate over presidential term limits. The 22nd Amendment to the U.S. Constitution explicitly prohibits presidents from serving more than two terms – a barrier that would seemingly end Trump’s White House tenure in January 2029.
The VP Gambit
Some Trump allies have floated an unusual workaround: having the president run as vice president in 2028, then potentially assuming the presidency again. But Trump dismissed the idea during his airborne press conference.
“I would be allowed” to run as vice president, Trump said, “but I think people wouldn’t like that. It’s too cute. It wouldn’t be right.”
The rejection marks a rare instance of Trump acknowledging constitutional norms, though he stopped short of completely ruling out a third term through other means.
Bannon’s Mysterious “Plan”
Former Trump strategist Steve Bannon added fuel to the speculation last week, cryptically telling The Economist that a “plan” exists to secure Trump another term.
“Trump is going to be president in ’28, and people ought to just get accommodated with that,” Bannon declared. “At the appropriate time, we’ll lay out what the plan is.”
Bannon provided no details on what this plan might entail or how it would overcome constitutional barriers.
The Constitutional Reality
Repealing the 22nd Amendment would require extraordinary political consensus: approval from two-thirds of both the House and Senate, or a constitutional convention called by two-thirds of state legislatures. Political analysts view either scenario as highly improbable in the current polarized climate.
Trump’s public flirtation with a third term isn’t entirely new. In March, he told CNBC he would “probably not” run again, but added he was “not joking” about the possibility – leaving characteristic ambiguity around his intentions.
Eyeing Successors
During the same exchange with reporters, Trump praised Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio as potential 2028 candidates, calling them “unstoppable.”
“All I can tell you is that we have a great group of people, which they don’t,” Trump said, taking a shot at Democrats.
The 2028 Field Takes Shape
Democrats are already positioning themselves for the next race. California Governor Gavin Newsom told CBS on Sunday that he’d “be lying” if he said he wasn’t seriously considering a presidential bid. Former Vice President Kamala Harris, who lost to Trump in 2024, told the BBC she may run again and could “possibly” be president in the future.
As Trump’s second term approaches its midpoint, his latest comments ensure that questions about 2028 – and the constitutional limits of presidential power – will remain front and center in American political discourse.
