United States President, Donald Trump, has dismissed the idea of running for vice president in 2028, rejecting suggestions from some of his supporters that the move could allow him to bypass constitutional term limits and return to the White House.
Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One on Monday, Trump acknowledged that he might legally be permitted to run as vice president but said he would not consider it.
“I would be allowed to do that,” Trump said. “But I wouldn’t do it… I think it’s too cute. It wouldn’t be right.”
The US Constitution’s 22nd Amendment limits presidents to two elected terms. Trump, who began his second term in January 2025, is barred from seeking another after leaving office.
However, some of his loyalists have floated unconventional strategies to extend his influence, including a theory that Trump could join the 2028 Republican ticket as vice president and then retake the presidency if the elected president steps down.
Under this theory, Vice President JD Vance could seek the presidency in 2028, win the election, and subsequently resign, allowing Trump to assume office once again.
The speculation gained traction after Steve Bannon, Trump’s former White House strategist and a key figure in the “Make America Great Again” movement, hinted that plans were in motion to secure Trump a “third term.”
“He is going to get a third term… Trump is going to be president in ’28. And people just ought to get accommodated with that,” Bannon told The Economist.
When asked about the constitutional term limits, Bannon claimed there were “many different alternatives,” adding, “At the appropriate time, we’ll lay out what the plan is.”
Trump, 79, has at times appeared to indulge such speculation. In recent weeks, red hats emblazoned with the slogan “Trump 2028” have been spotted on his desk in the Oval Office, fueling curiosity about his post-presidency ambitions.
Despite this, his latest comments appeared to rule out any attempt to exploit loopholes or technicalities in the Constitution to extend his tenure.
“I wouldn’t do it,” Trump reiterated, stressing that such a maneuver “wouldn’t be right.”
