President Donald Trump has once again thrust himself into the center of a constitutional debate, openly acknowledging that he cannot run for a third term as president, while still fueling speculation about his political future. Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One en route to Gyeongju, South Korea, on October 29, 2025, Trump stated, "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." He added with a hint of regret, "I would say that if you read it, it's pretty clear. I'm not allowed to run. It's too bad, but we have a lot of great people." According to ABC News, this was the most direct acknowledgment yet from the president that the U.S. Constitution’s 22nd Amendment bars him from seeking a third term.
Despite this admission, Trump has repeatedly flirted with the idea of extending his tenure in the White House. On October 27, 2025, he told reporters, "I would love to" run for a third term, despite the explicit two-term limit. When pressed further, he replied coyly, "Am I not ruling it out? I mean, you'll have to tell me." His remarks, reported by Yahoo News, marked at least the seventh time since his reelection that he has hinted at remaining in office beyond January 2029.
The constitutional roadblock is clear. The 22nd Amendment, ratified in 1951 after Franklin D. Roosevelt’s unprecedented four terms, states, "No person shall be elected to the office of the President more than twice." This language was intended to prevent any future president from holding the office for more than two terms, regardless of whether those terms are consecutive. The amendment formalized the tradition set by George Washington, who voluntarily stepped down after two terms back in 1796.
House Speaker Mike Johnson, a Republican from Louisiana, has been unequivocal about the legal boundaries. On October 28, 2025, Johnson told reporters, "It's been a great run. But I think the president knows, and he and I have talked about, the constrictions of the Constitution." He added, "I do not see the path" for Trump to seek a third term. Johnson’s remarks, as reported by Straight Arrow News, followed a conversation with the president during his trip to Asia and were intended to put to rest any serious talk of a constitutional workaround.
Yet, the speculation refuses to die down. Part of this is due to Trump’s own penchant for stirring the pot, as well as the actions of his allies. Trump’s campaign has been selling "Trump 2028" hats and T-shirts, a move widely interpreted as a way to troll his critics and avoid the dreaded "lame-duck" status that often plagues second-term presidents. Former chief strategist Steve Bannon added fuel to the fire on October 21, 2025, when he claimed on his podcast that there was a plan for Trump to remain president beyond 2029. "Trump is going to be president in '28, and people ought to just get accommodated with that," Bannon declared, according to Yahoo News. He went so far as to describe Trump as an "instrument of divine will," echoing rhetoric that has become familiar among the president’s most ardent supporters.
White House officials, however, have dismissed Bannon’s comments as self-promotional and lacking any official backing. As Straight Arrow News reported, Bannon is no longer part of Trump’s inner circle, and administration sources have accused him of using the controversy to generate attention for himself.
One theory that has circulated among Trump supporters since March 2025 is that he could run as vice president on a ticket with his current vice president, JD Vance, in 2028. The idea is that if Vance were to resign immediately after taking office, Trump could ascend to the presidency without violating the 22nd Amendment’s prohibition on being "elected" more than twice. But Trump himself has publicly rejected this scenario. On October 29, 2025, he said, "Yeah, I would rule that out because it's too cute. I think the people wouldn't like that. It's too cute. It's not -- it wouldn't be right." He reiterated that while he "would be allowed to do that," he found the notion unappealing and improper. Legal experts have also pointed out that the 12th Amendment bars anyone ineligible for the presidency from serving as vice president, making the loophole a legal nonstarter.
Adding another twist, Vice President JD Vance revealed on the "Pod Force One with Miranda Devine" podcast that Trump had floated the idea of a Vance-Rubio Republican ticket for 2028 about six months ago. Vance recounted, "So, the president first raised this with me probably six months or so ago during just, you know, one of our private lunches that we try to get lunch every couple of weeks just to catch up on what's going on and talk about things. He mentioned it probably six months or so ago, and I mentioned to the secretary in jest, but it feels so premature, because we're still so early. And what I always say to people is, if we take care of business, the politics will take care of itself." When asked if Trump’s lack of specificity about who would lead the ticket might cause tension with Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Vance was quick to dismiss any concerns. "First of all, no, there's not going to be any tension. Marco is my best friend in the administration. He and I work a lot together, and we really do. I think a lot of the good work that we've been able to do as an administration is because we're all able to work together. And again, this is why I say worrying too much about the politics, actually, I think makes you worse at the job that you have," Vance said.
Despite Trump’s claims of unprecedented popularity, the data tells a more nuanced story. As of May 2025, a Yahoo News/YouGov poll found that 64% of Americans disapprove of Trump running for a third term, with only 21% expressing approval. Among Republicans, support is higher but still not overwhelming—45% approve, while 34% disapprove. Meanwhile, The New York Times average shows Trump’s approval rating hovering around 43% as of late October 2025, a figure lower than most modern presidents at the same point in their second terms.
While some legal scholars have debated whether the 22nd Amendment’s language—"elected to the office of the President more than twice"—could leave room for a former president to serve again by ascending from a lower office, the consensus remains that the Constitution is clear in its intent. The only plausible way for Trump or any other president to secure a third term would be to amend the Constitution itself, a process requiring two-thirds support in both the House and Senate and ratification by three-fourths of state legislatures. In January, Rep. Andy Ogles, a Republican from Tennessee, introduced a resolution to amend the 22nd Amendment to allow presidents who serve two nonconsecutive terms to run again, but few believe such a proposal stands any real chance in the current political climate.
As the 2028 election cycle looms on the horizon, Trump’s musings about a third term seem more about keeping his supporters energized—and his opponents on edge—than about any real constitutional challenge. With the rules of the game clearly set by history and law, the former president’s future may lie not in a third term, but in shaping the next generation of Republican leadership.
