- Trump publicly flirts with a constitutionally fraught 2028 presidential comeback, saying he would "love to do it."
- He rejects the "VP loophole" as "too cute" and politically unpalatable despite allies' scheming and Bannon's boasts.
- The 22nd Amendment and steep legal hurdles make a third elected term effectively implausible, sparking intense partisan debate.
In a candid exchange aboard Air Force One en route from Malaysia to Japan, President Donald Trump once again dangled the tantalizing – and constitutionally fraught – prospect of a third White House run in 2028, declaring he would “love to do it.”
The 79-year-old Republican leader, fresh off a bruising but victorious reelection battle last year, dismissed a creative workaround pitched by some allies as too gimmicky, even as his longtime confidant Steve Bannon teased a shadowy “plan” to make it happen.
Trump’s remarks, delivered to a gaggle of reporters mid-flight during his Asian diplomatic swing, come amid sky-high approval ratings that he himself touted as “the best poll numbers that I’ve ever had.”
The FrankNez Media Daily Briefing newsletter provides all the news you need to start your day. Sign up here.
Yet they also underscore a persistent tension: the 22nd Amendment’s ironclad prohibition on presidents serving more than two elected terms, ratified in 1951 to prevent the kind of indefinite rule Franklin D. Roosevelt embodied with his four-term tenure.
“I haven’t really thought about it,” Trump said when pressed on a potential third bid.
But the door wasn’t slammed shut.
Instead, he swatted away the notion of running as vice president on a ticket with a handpicked successor – a maneuver some MAGA enthusiasts have floated as a backdoor to the Oval Office via resignation and ascension.
“I think people wouldn’t like that,” Trump remarked.
“It’s too cute. It wouldn’t be right.”
The “VP loophole,” as it’s been dubbed in conservative circles, would theoretically allow Trump to sidestep the two-term limit by getting elected to the number-two spot and then assuming the presidency if his running mate steps aside.
Legal experts, however, point to the 12th Amendment’s stipulation that no one “constitutionally ineligible” for the presidency can serve as VP – a clear bar that would almost certainly trigger court battles all the way to a Supreme Court stacked with Trump appointees.
Bannon’s Bombshell: ‘Trump Is Going to Be President in ’28’
Enter Steve Bannon, the firebrand podcaster and ex-White House strategist whose influence in Trumpworld remains outsized despite his 2022 contempt of Congress conviction.
In a recent sit-down with The Economist, Bannon didn’t mince words: “Trump is going to be president in ’28, and people ought to just get accommodated with that.”
He promised more details “at the appropriate time,” fueling speculation about everything from amendment pushes to procedural sleights-of-hand.
Bannon’s bravado isn’t isolated.
A Fox News poll released in April revealed a “resounding response” to Trump’s third-term musings, with 52% of Republicans viewing it favorably – a figure that has only ticked up as Trump’s second term rolls on with economic tailwinds and foreign policy wins.
On X, the chatter is feverish: One user speculated about a “Vance Plan” where Vice President JD Vance resigns post-election to hand the reins back to Trump, while another dismissed it outright as unconstitutional fodder.
A viral thread from anti-Trump conservatives warned of a “Third Term Project” echoing Project 2025’s playbook, complete with wild ideas like a Trump-Trump Jr. ticket.
Critics, though, see red flags everywhere.
“Trump’s third term trial balloon gets resounding response in new poll? That’s not democracy; that’s a stress test,” quipped one Washington Post columnist, noting how such talk erodes norms even if it never materializes.
CNN’s analysis framed it as Trump “sounding dead serious,” regardless of legal realities.
The Constitutional Roadblock: A Steep Climb, If Not Impossible
Overturning the 22nd Amendment isn’t child’s play.
It demands a two-thirds supermajority in both chambers of Congress, followed by ratification by three-fourths of state legislatures – or, in theory, a constitutional convention triggered by two-thirds of states.
With Republicans holding slim edges in Congress and statehouses (GOP controls full legislatures in 28 states, per recent tallies), the math doesn’t add up.
Even Trump’s staunchest backers concede the odds.
In September, Supreme Court Justices Amy Coney Barrett and Sonia Sotomayor – ideological bookends – effectively poured cold water on the idea during separate events, with Barrett calling it a “non-starter” and Sotomayor invoking FDR’s excesses as the very reason for the limit.
As The New York Times put it bluntly: “No, Trump Cannot Run for Re-election Again in 2028.”
Trump himself has flip-flopped before.
Back in March, he told CNBC he’d “probably not” pursue another term, only to clarify days later that he was “not joking” about the possibility.
This week’s Asia trip comments feel like a recalibration, buoyed by polls and border security triumphs.
Handing the Baton? Vance and Rubio in the Spotlight
If a third bid fizzles, Trump isn’t short on heirs apparent.
He name-checked Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio as “unstoppable” talents, adding a dig at Democrats: “All I can tell you is that we have a great group of people, which they don’t.”
Vance, the Ohio senator turned No. 2, has been aggressively courting the base, while Rubio’s diplomatic chops have burnished his statesman image.
A Fox News op-ed warned that 2028 “looks like trouble for Democrats,” with the GOP bench deeper than ever.
Online, MAGA diehards are already plotting: One X post envisioned Vance as a placeholder nominee, picking Trump as VP for a seamless handover.
Democrats’ Counterpunch: Newsom and Harris Signal 2028 Intent
Across the aisle, the Democratic field is stirring. California Gov. Gavin Newsom, a sharp Trump foil, admitted on CBS’s Face the Nation Sunday that he’d “be lying” if he wasn’t mulling a presidential bid post-2026 midterms.
“Yeah, I would give it serious thought,” he confirmed to host Margaret Brennan, laying out a timeline tied to California’s ballot battles.
Echoing that, former Vice President Kamala Harris told the BBC in an interview airing this weekend: “I am not done,” hinting she could “possibly” reclaim the top spot.
The duo’s overtures signal a party eager to rebound from 2024’s drubbing, though early jockeying could splinter the field.
Harris, who headlined a BBC sit-down on her post-VP pivot, emphasized unfinished business on abortion rights and climate.
Newsom, meanwhile, has ramped up national fundraisers, positioning himself as the anti-Trump warrior for a post-midterm sprint.
What Comes Next? A Nation on Edge
Trump’s tease isn’t just idle chatter; it’s a mirror to America’s polarized soul.
As one X user lamented, “MAGA does not follow the constitution,” capturing the unease rippling through feeds.
Yet for all the bluster, history favors restraint – or at least, the rulebook.
With midterms looming and global hotspots flaring, 2028 feels distant.
Also Read: A DOJ Whistleblower Now Makes Revelation That Undermines the Judicial System’s Integrity
