Trump rules out a third term in 2028: 'It’s pretty clear I’m not allowed to run'

WASHINGTON, DC: Looks like the “Trump 2028” caps will remain souvenirs for the foreseeable future.

President Donald Trump, who’s been teasing the idea of an unprecedented third term, finally admitted that the Constitution has the final word.

Trump admits he's 'not allowed to run' in 2028 

Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One while heading to South Korea on Wednesday, October 29, Donald Trump sounded almost wistful about his White House prospects.

“It’s a very interesting thing. I have the best numbers for any president in many years,” he bragged.

“And I would say that, if you read it, it’s pretty clear. I’m not allowed to run. It’s too bad,” the Republican leader added. “But we have a lot of great people.”

For months, Trump has been playing cat-and-mouse with the 2028 question, even selling and handing out “Trump 2028” merch like it is a real campaign. But this time, the usually unpredictable commander-in-chief seemed to be throwing in the towel.

As recently as Monday, Trump wasn’t exactly ruling out another run. “I haven’t really thought about it. I have the best poll numbers I’ve ever had,” he said. “Am I not ruling it out? I mean, you’ll have to tell me.”

It’s not the first time he’s mused about bending the two-term rule. Trump mentioned the idea at least half a dozen times during the first nine months of his second term. But the 22nd Amendment isn’t leaving much room for interpretation, declaring that no president can be elected more than twice.

The supposed 'plan' to keep Trump in power

Donald Trump's longtime ally and former White House strategist Steve Bannon recently stirred the pot in an interview with The Economist, claiming there was a master plan in motion.

“He’s gonna get a third term,” Bannon declared confidently. “Trump is gonna be president in ’28, and people just ought to get accommodated with that.”

When pressed on the details, Bannon didn’t exactly pull back the curtain. “At the appropriate time, we’ll lay out what the plan is,” he teased. “But there is a plan.”

While Bannon’s influence isn’t what it was during Trump’s first term, his words still hold considerable weight in MAGA circles. He hinted there were “many different alternatives” to keep Trump in power, though he didn’t explain how any of them would get around the 22nd Amendment.

Even some of Trump’s allies in Congress have been scratching their heads.

Trump's allies react to third-term musings

Sen Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) weighed in on the 2028 discussion. “You know, if you read the Constitution, it says it’s not, but if he says he has some, some different circumstances that might be able to go around the Constitution, but that’s up to him,” he said, according to The Hill.

When asked on Monday about Bannon’s “third term plan” while en route to Japan, Trump said he'd "love" to run again but ruled out the half-serious fantasy some supporters floated about him running as vice president and then taking over later.

Not all of Trump’s allies are buying into the 2028 hype, though.

House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) told reporters that Trump’s third-term chatter is basically the president "trolling" his critics. “The Trump 2028 cap is one of the most popular that’s ever been produced, and he has a good time with that, trolling the Democrats, whose hair is on fire about the very prospect,” he said.

Johnson added that he’s actually talked to Trump about the whole thing. “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,” Johnson said.