President Trump Monday said it would be “too cute” to circumvent the constitutional ban on a third term in the White House by instead running for vice president in 2028.
Trump claimed that he has ruled out the veep workaround plan, which would involve running as No. 2 on a ticket potentially led by a figurehead like Vice President JD Vance, who would then resign to clear the way for Trump to return to power.
“I’d be allowed to do it,” Trump, 79, told reporters on his flight to Japan during his Asia trip. “I’d love to do it,” he said, but added: “it’s too cute.”
The third term chatter came after right-wing firebrand Steve Bannon has been floating the vice presidential switcheroo as a way to keep the Trump 2028 flame burning.
“Trump is going to be president (after) ’28, and people just ought to get accommodated with that,” Bannon told The Economist. “At the appropriate time, we’ll lay out what the plan is. But there is a plan.”
The constitution’s 22nd Amendment bars a president from being elected for a third term but doesn’t explicitly rule out someone serving a third term, leaving the Trump veepstakes as a potentially viable option.
Trump would be 82 on January 21, 2029 when the next president will be sworn in, already older than any other commander-in-chief.
History is replete with examples of leaders who have sought to evade restrictions or bans on running for office by using figureheads, often wives or cronies, to run in their places while maintaining power behind the scenes.
Russian President Vladimir Putin handed official power to his ally Dmitry Medvedev in 2008 and served as prime minister, only to return to the top spot four years later after tweaking the constitution.
Trump heaped praised on Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio calling the pair a potential dream team future Republican presidential ticket.
“I’m not sure if anybody would run against those two,” he said. “I think if they ever formed a group, it would be unstoppable.”
Trump also revealed that he underwent an MRI examination during his recent unscheduled medical trip to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, but gave no explanation about why the scan was performed or on what part of his body it was focused.
He claimed the MRI showed no worrisome medical issues, but did not elaborate.
“We had an MRI, and the machine, you know, the whole thing,” Trump said. “It was perfect.”
Trump revealed that he was diagnosed with chronic venous insufficiency after reporters noted his swollen ankles. It’s a relatively common condition in people Trump’s age, although it can be a sign of more serious heart conditions.
The White House also brushed off concerns about bruising on Trump’s hand saying it was caused by too much hand-shaking.
