President Donald Trump refused to rule out running for a third term on Monday, even though he is prevented from running again by the 22nd Amendment.
When asked by reporters on Air Force One about a 2028 ticket, Trump said he “would love” to run again.
“I have my best numbers ever. It’s very terrible. I have my best numbers,” he said. “Am I not ruling it out? You’ll have to tell me,” Trump said when pressed by reporters for a definitive answer.
Trump also said that the Republican Party had “very good people” who could appear together in a possible 2028 presidential run, pointing to Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
“We have great people. I don’t have to get into that, but we have one of them standing right here. We have, JD, obviously the vice president is great. Marco’s great,” Trump said, adding that if they “formed a group” Vance and Rubio would be “unstoppable.”
When asked if he would consider a run for vice president, Trump said would be “allowed to do that,” but dismissed the idea, calling it “too cute.”
“Yeah, I would rule that out,” Trump said. “I think the people wouldn’t like that. It wouldn’t be right.”
Trump would actually be prevented from running as vice president by the 12th Amendment, which states that “no person constitutionally ineligible to the office of President shall be eligible to that of Vice-President of the United States.”
Talk of Trump running for a third term has circulated since shortly after his inauguration in January. Just four days after Trump being sworn in, Rep. Andy Ogles, R-Tenn., introduced a proposal to allow him to run for a third term.
In March, Trump said he was “not joking” about running for a third term, though House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., later said that Trump was not serious, saying that he “recognizes the limitations.”
Last week, former White House Chief Strategist Steve Bannon said that “a plan” was in place to get Trump into office for a third term.
“He’s gonna get a third term, Trump ‘28,” Bannon said. “Trump is gonna be president ‘28, so people just ought to get accommodated with that.”
