After repeatedly raising the prospect of running for a third term, President Donald Trump said Wednesday that doing so would be unconstitutional.
“If you read it [the Constitution], it’s pretty clear: I’m not allowed to run. It’s too bad,” Trump told reporters on Air Force One en route to South Korea. “But we have a lot of great people.”
Trump — who on Monday said that he “would love to do it” — didn’t close the door on the possibility, however.
“Based on what I read, I guess I’m not allowed to run,” he said with a smile. “So we’ll see what happens.”
Trump on Third Term: If you read it, it's pretty clear—I'm not allowed to run. It’s too bad. pic.twitter.com/R4LKGriv1D
— Acyn (@Acyn) October 29, 2025
Trump’s remarks came a day after House Speaker Mike Johnson told an MSNBC reporter that he does not “see the path” for a third Trump term. He cited the 22nd Amendment, which says nobody “shall be elected to the office of the President more than twice.”
When asked about a third term in a March interview with NBC News, Trump said “there are methods” available and that he was “not joking.”
Former White House adviser Steve Bannon told The Economist last week that Trump “is going to be president in ’28, and people just ought to get accommodated with that.”
