(Washington, D.C.) U.S. President Donald Trump said on Monday (October 27) that he would not run for vice president in the 2028 election, but refused to indicate that he would not seek a third term, fueling speculation that he might extend his term.
Trump has repeatedly mentioned at rallies his intention to exceed the two-term limit stipulated by the U.S. Constitution. Some allies take this signal seriously, but most constitutional scholars deny the possibility.
According to the 22nd Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, no one may be elected president of the United States a third time. Supporters have suggested that Trump run for vice president while another candidate runs for president and resigns, thus allowing Trump to become president again. En route from Malaysia to Tokyo, on Air Force One, Trump told reporters that he would not do that because it would be too opportunistic and people wouldn't like it.
However, scholars point out that because Trump is no longer eligible to be president, he is also prohibited from running for vice president. The 12th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution states that a person who is constitutionally ineligible to serve as president may not serve as vice president of the United States.
Trump is 79 years old this year and will be 82 in 2028. Speaking about a third term, Trump said he would love to, and stated that the statistics during his tenure are the best in history.
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Trump also said on Monday that Vice President Vance and Secretary of State Rubio might run for president in 2028. “I think if they really form a group, it will be unstoppable. I really think so. I believe that.”
Trump’s comments about a third term have cast a shadow over the future of the Republican Party. While some of Trump’s allies support his continued presidency, some within the Republican Party have already begun vying for the party’s presidential nomination for the next term.
Steve Bannon, who served as White House chief strategist during Trump’s first term, revealed in an interview with The Economist last week that there are plans to circumvent the 22nd Amendment to the Constitution, and hinted at his involvement in the plan. Bannon said, “Trump will be president in 2028, and people should accept that. We will announce the plans in due course.”
Any constitutional amendment requires a two-thirds majority in both the House and Senate, or a constitutional convention convened by two-thirds of the states, followed by ratification by 38 of the 50 state legislatures. Republicans hold a narrow majority in the House (219-213) and in the Senate (53-47). The Republican Party controls the legislatures of 28 states across the United States.
