US President Donald Trump said he would “love” to enter the 2028 presidential race and “everybody would like” him to do so, but “the law is very strict.” He made the remarks while speaking to reporters upon arriving at Joint Base Andrews in Washington, D.C., after attending the Patriot Games in Ohio. Previously, the Republican repeatedly admitted the possibility of leading the United States for a third time, although this is not provided for by the country’s Constitution.
Trump first announced the possibility of being elected to a third term in March 2025 in an interview with NBC News, noting that he was “not joking.” At the same time, the conversation mentioned a “loophole” in the law, which requires Vice President J.D. Vance to run for the post of head of state, win the election, and then transfer the post to Trump. This is possible due to the interpretation of the 22nd Amendment of the Constitution: it prohibits one from being elected more than twice but not holding office in the event of the resignation or death of another president.
“I have the best record of any president in many years, of all presidents. And I would say that if you read the Constitution, you will understand that I am not allowed to run for office. It's a pity. But we have a lot of great people,” Trump emphasized later in 2025.
In January of that year, shortly after Trump returned to the Oval Office, Republicans introduced an initiative in Congress to change the Constitution, according to which three presidential terms would be allowed, but with the condition that a third could not follow the first two consecutively. Democrats criticized the proposal and it was removed from the agenda.
Also, former White House strategic adviser Steve Bannon argued that there are “many different options” and “a couple of alternatives” for Trump’s next nomination, but did not disclose details.
