NEED TO KNOW
- Donald Trump said that he would not legally be able to run for a third term in office while speaking to reporters on Air Force One on Oct. 29
- Trump has previously alluded to “methods” that he could take to get around a Constitutional Amendment blocking his continued leadership
- His latest comments come after House Speaker Mike Johnson recently denied that Trump could feasibly serve a third term
Donald Trump appears to be reconciling with the fact that he will not be able to run for a third term as president.
On Wednesday, Oct. 29, Trump, 79, addressed the idea that he would campaign for the presidency in 2028 while speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One.
He referenced the U.S. Constitution and noted that “it’s pretty clear” he would not be able to campaign for the office another time, according to Reuters and The Guardian.
“I’m not allowed to run. It’s too bad,” he reiterated as his presidential tour of Asia continued with a stop in South Korea.
Donald Trump in England on September 18, 2025.
Leon Neal/Getty
Trump was citing the 22nd Amendment of the Constitution, which states: “No person shall be elected to the office of the President more than twice, and no person who has held the office of President, or acted as President, for more than two years of a term to which some other person was elected President shall be elected to the office of the President more than once.”
“Based on what I read, I guess I’m not allowed to run,” the president told reporters. “So we’ll see what happens.”
His latest comments come after House Speaker Mike Johnson said that he did not see a way Trump could remain in office beyond his second term, which ends in January 2029.
“It’s been a great run, but I think the president knows, and he and I have talked about, the constrictions of the Constitution, as much as so many of the American people lament that,” Johnson said during a news conference on Tuesday, Oct. 28, according to ABC News.
In order the change the Constitution and do away with the 22nd Amendment, a proposal would need the support of two-thirds of Congress. At least three-fourths of the states would also need to affirm the proposed Amendment before it could become law.
“I don’t see a way to amend the Constitution because it takes about 10 years to do that,” Johnson told reporters on Capitol Hill. “As you all know, to allow all the states to ratify what two-thirds of the House and three-fourths of the states would approve. So I don’t, I don’t see the path for that, but I can tell you that we are not going to take our foot off the gas pedal.”
Donald Trump with House Speaker Mike Johnson.
Andrew Harnik/Getty
Johnson added that he spoke to Trump on Tuesday about the matter.
The congressman also implied that the president’s talk of a third term was an attempt at “trolling the Democrats.” He said that their “hair is on fire by the very prospect” of Trump not leaving office.
As recently as Monday, Oct. 27, Trump signaled interest in pursuing another term, saying he would “love” to remain in office. At the time, he expressly ruled out the idea of running as someone else’s vice president, saying, “I’d be allowed to do that. But I wouldn’t do that. I think it’s too cute.”
Donald Trump in Tokyo on October 27, 2025.
ISSEI KATO/POOL/AFP via Getty
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The president has frequently alluded to “methods” that would allow him to run for a third term and even at one point sold “Trump 2028” hats as merchandise.
However, he has also referred to Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Vice President JD Vance as “great people” on his team, implying that they could run for the presidency.
PEOPLE reached out to the White House to see if there was further comment on Trump’s plans.
