Trump Says He Thinks He Can Run for a Third Term, And Doesn’t Rule Out Doing So: ‘There Are Methods Which You Could Do it’
President Donald Trump believes he could run for a third term in office and is not ruling out the possibility.
In a phone interview with NBC’s Kristen Welker early Sunday, the president was asked about the push by allies — including Steve Bannon — to get him to run for a third term in 2028.
“You know, a lot of people would like me to do that,” Trump told Welker. “But, I mean, I basically tell them, we have a long way to go, you know, it’s very early in the administration.”
“Have you been presented with any potential plans that would allow you to serve a third term?” Welker asked.
Trump replied, “there are plans. There are – not plans. There are, there are methods which you could do it, as you know.”
Welker threw out a hypothetical scenario in which Vice President JD Vance would run for president in 2028. And if he were victorious, Vance would then pass the baton to Trump.
“Well, that’s one [scenario],” Trump replied. “But there are others too. There are others.”
Welker then confronted Trump about whether he is serious about the prospect.
“Sir, I’m hearing – you don’t sound like you’re joking,” Wekler said. “I’ve heard you joke about this a number of times.”
“No, no I’m not joking,” Trump responded. “I’m not joking … But, I’m not – it is far too early to think about it.”
“Would you want to serve a third term, sir?” Welker asked.
“Well, I like working,” Trump replied.
Prior to his victory in the 2024 election, Trump ruled out the idea of running again in 2028.
“I think that will be — that will be it,” Trump told Sharyl Attkisson last September. “I don’t see that at all.
But that hasn’t stopped his allies from trying to find a loophole in the 22nd Amendment — which states “No person shall be elected to the office of the President more than twice.”
“We’re working on it,” Steve Bannon said on March 18 — referring to a plan to allow Trump to run in 2028. “I think we’ll have a couple of alternatives, let’s say that. We’ll see what the definition of term limit is.”
