President Trump Tuesday backed away from recent chatter that he could find a way around the constitutional ban on seeking a third term in the White House.
After previously toying with finding a workaround to the 22nd Amendment, Trump suggested to reporters on his Asia trip that he has given up on the idea of seeking four more years in office when his current term runs out after the 2028 elections.
“If you read it, it’s pretty clear: I’m not allowed to run. It’s too bad,” Trump said.
Trump sounded crestfallen about the realization that he will have to leave the White House after serving two terms, just like every other president with the exception of Franklin Delano Roosevelt, whose four terms bookended by the Great Depression and World War II spurred passage of the two-term limit.
He falsely claimed that current polling numbers suggest he would have a good chance to win if given the chance.
“Thee sad thing is I have the highest (poll) numbers I ever had,” Trump said, adding that he would “probably like to run” again in 2028.
In reality, Trump is suffering from historically low approval ratings, with about 40% of Americans saying he is doing a good job in his second term and even fewer giving him a thumbs up on the key issue of the economy and cost of living.
It’s not exactly clear what led Trump to the conclusion that he cannot stay in power longer.
House Speaker Mike Johnson said Tuesday that he recently spoke to Trump about the issue and informed him that a third term would violate the Constitution.
Right-wing firebrand Steve Bannon recently said “there’s a plan” to allow Trump to run again and that Americans should get used to the idea that he will remain in power after the 2028 elections.
Some MAGA stalwarts have suggested that Trump could take advantage of an apparent loophole in the 22nd Amendment which bars a person from being elected to a third term, not serving a third term. That might open the door for Trump to run as vice president, then retake office if the new president resigned after winning the election.
Trump dismissed that idea as “too cute” earlier this week.
