Trump Puts Third-Term Theories To Bed, Says Constitution Is ‘Pretty Clear’

President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that the Constitution is “pretty clear” on presidential term limits, putting to rest theories that have been pushed recently about Trump seeking to run again in 2028.

While en route to South Korea, Trump told reporters on Air Force One, “I have my highest poll numbers that I’ve ever had, and, you know, based on what I read, I guess I’m not allowed to run.”

“I would say that if you read [the Constitution], it’s pretty clear. I’m not allowed to run. It’s too bad,” Trump added. “But we have a lot of great people,” referring to the potential Republican presidential candidates waiting to take the torch from him.

“Based on what I read, I guess I’m not allowed to run.”

US President Donald Trump conceded Wednesday that it was “pretty clear” the Constitution didn’t allow him to seek a third term as president, despite frequently floating the idea in recent months https://t.co/3MeLI1D3J8 pic.twitter.com/08tM9EfCMu

— Bloomberg (@business) October 29, 2025

House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) pushed back against the third-term theories on Tuesday, saying, “It’s been a great run, but I think the president knows, and he and I have talked about, the constrictions of the Constitution.”

The 22nd Amendment of the Constitution, ratified in 1951, states, “No person shall be elected to the office of the President more than twice.” The 22nd Amendment was ratified shortly after President Franklin Delano Roosevelt was elected to four consecutive terms before he died in office in 1945.

Join us now during our exclusive Deal of the Decade. Get everything for $7 a month. Not as fans. As fighters. Go to DailyWire.com/Subscribe to join now.

Theories about Trump running for a third term in 2028 swirled this week after former Trump adviser Steve Bannon said in an interview that “there is a plan” to create a path for Trump to run again. Trump would be 82 years old when the 2028 election takes place.

“Trump is going to be president in 2028, and people just ought to get accommodated with that,” Bannon said during an interview with The Economist last week. “We need him for at least one more term, and he’ll get that in 2028.”

Trump was asked about Bannon’s remarks earlier this week and told reporters that he “would love” to run in 2028. Trump’s and Bannon’s comments sparked rage and trepidation among political commentators on the Left. Some leftists have also argued that Trump’s tearing down the East Wing of the White House to build a ballroom is evidence that he plans on staying in office past January 20, 2029.

The president has hinted at a potential 2028 run multiple times in recent months, but has also stated that the idea “is not something I’m looking to do.” Trump’s official store also sells “Trump 2028” hats, keeping alive fears that he could run. But all of the third-term talk appears to just be talk, or possibly a ruse to troll Democrats. Political analysts have also suggested that Trump and his allies are keeping third-term theories alive to prevent Trump from becoming a lame-duck president, which could hinder his agenda as he gets closer to the end of his term.