Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One on his way to Japan from Malaysia, Trump said that while he would “be allowed” to run again as vice-president, he had no plans to do so.
“I think people wouldn’t like that,” he said. “It’s too cute. It wouldn’t be right.”
Talking about the possibility of a third term, Trump said: “I haven’t really thought about it. But I have the best poll numbers that I’ve ever had.”
Additionally, Trump also suggested vice-president JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio as potential successors, calling them “unstoppable”.
“All I can tell you is that we have a great group of people, which they don’t,” he added, referring to Democrats.
The 22nd amendment of the US constitution bars presidents from seeking a third term.
Repealing the amendment would require approval from two-thirds of both the House of Representatives and the Senate, or a constitutional convention called by two-thirds of state legislatures – a process viewed as highly unlikely.
The amendment would also need to have the backing of 38 states to ratify it, or making it officially valid.
Last week, former Trump adviser Steve Bannon – who remains a vocal supporter – claimed there was a “plan” to secure a third term for Trump.
“Trump is going to be president in ’28, and people ought to just get accommodated with that,” Bannon told The Economist. “At the appropriate time, we’ll lay out what the plan is.”
In March, Trump told CNBC he would “probably not” run again, though he later said he was “not joking” about the possibility.
It is still unclear which Democrats intend to run for the White House in 2028, although several have already expressed an interest.
On Sunday, California Governor Gavin Newsom told CBS, the BBC’s US partner, that he would “be lying” if he said he was not giving serious thought to a presidential bid.
Former vice-president Kamala Harris also told the BBC she may run again and that she could “possibly” be president in the future. BBC
