President Donald Trump appears to have finally admitted that he cannot run for a third term as president. On Wednesday, he told reporters that the Constitution does not allow him to do it.
According to The Hill, Trump was on Air Force One when he made these comments. The plane was heading to South Korea. He talked about having strong approval ratings and said many people support him. But he also said the rules are clear about him not being able to run again.
Speaking to reporters, Trump said, “It’s a very interesting thing. I have the best numbers for any president in many years.” He went on to say, “if you read it, it’s pretty clear. I’m not allowed to run. It’s too bad.” Before finishing, he mentioned, “But we have a lot of great people.”
The Constitution Is Pretty Clear On This One
The 22nd Amendment is the part of the Constitution that sets this rule. It says no one can get elected president more than twice. This amendment became part of the Constitution back in 1951. The change happened after Franklin D. Roosevelt won the presidency four different times.
During the first nine months of his second term, Trump has mentioned the possibility of a third term about six times. The conversation heated up again after Steve Bannon brought it up in an interview. Bannon used to be one of Trump’s top advisers and is still a strong supporter. He mentioned there was some kind of “plan” to keep Trump in the White House longer, but he never explained what he meant.
Just two days before his latest comments, Trump was asked about what Bannon had said. While flying to Japan on Monday, Trump said he would “love” to run for president again. But he did shoot down one suggestion from his supporters. Some people had floated the idea of him running as vice president and then becoming president after the election. Trump said that would not happen.
Mike Johnson, who serves as Speaker of the House, brought up the issue on Tuesday. The Louisiana Republican said he has talked with Trump about what the Constitution allows and what it does not allow. Johnson told reporters, “It’s been a great run, but I think the president knows – and he and I’ve talked about the constrictions of the Constitution, as much as so many of the American people lament that.”
Based on what Trump said Wednesday, it looks like he gets that another term is not possible. Still, the way he spoke makes it pretty obvious he wishes the situation were different. When he said “it’s too bad,” it showed he would rather have the choice to run again.
Trump has mentioned several potential successors for 2028, though his recent comments suggest he would prefer to stay in the race himself. Right now, it seems he is coming to terms with what the Constitution requires, even though he clearly does not love it.
Published: Oct 29, 2025 01:00 pm