Trump concedes it's "pretty clear" he can't run for a third term
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President Trump speaks to journalists aboard Air Force One en route to South Korea on October 29. Photo: Andrew Harnik/Getty Images
President Trump acknowledged Wednesday that "it's pretty clear" he can't be elected a third time, after months of teasing a run in 2028.
The big picture: A significant roadblock stands in the way of Trump's third-term musings: The U.S. Constitution.
- But that hasn't stopped him and his allies from floating the idea in public and plastering it on merchandise, making critics and Constitutional scholars squirm.
Driving the news: Just days after seemingly declining to rule out another stay on Pennsylvania Avenue, Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One, "I guess I'm not allowed to run."
- But he added, "I guess we'll see what happens." He boasted that he had the "best numbers for any president in many years" and that he has the "highest numbers that I've ever had." (According to many prominent polls, that is false.)
- Trump said it's "too bad" he can't run again.
The intrigue: Trump's apparent acknowledgment of the 22nd amendment came less than 24 hours after House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) said he had spoken with Trump about the "constrictions of the Constitution."
- Johnson said he doesn't "see the path" for Trump to mount a bid in 2028, but said the president has "a good time with that trolling the Democrats, whose hair is on fire by the very prospect."
- Trump, asked Wednesday about Johnson's argument he was "trolling" Democrats, said, "I don't think he said that. I don't think he'd use that term."
Context: The 22nd Amendment states that "no person shall be elected to the office of the President more than twice."
- But former White House adviser Steve Bannon, a podcaster and provocateur, threw new fuel on the conversation last week when he said there was "a plan" to sidestep the Constitution's clear rules.
- Amending the Constitution would be an extreme long shot. And Trump recently dismissed an idea to reclaim the resolute desk after a run as vice president as "too cute."
The bottom line: Trump has publicly toyed with the idea of extending his presidential tenure beyond two terms throughout his political career.
- However, this isn't the first time he's put a damper on another run. In May, he told NBC's Kristen Welker, "This is not something I'm looking to do. I'm looking to have four great years and turn it over to somebody."
- But he's continued to show off merchandise teasing another term to world leaders and suggested Monday he wasn't ruling out the idea.
- And while he may be "trolling," Trump has pushed the boundaries of presidential power since day one, so legal scholars have told Axios they don't dismiss his musings.
Go deeper: Behind the Curtain: Trump claims the power to do almost anything
