Donald Trump will not be seeking a third term

It was never a serious possibility, but President Donald Trump calmed some people who were ready to declare him as attempting to be dictator for life. Trump had mused about “alternative ways” to get on the Presidential ballot in 2028.

President Trump on Sunday said he expects to leave the White House at the end of his second term without trying to run again. He had indicated as recently as March that he would be interested in a third term. How much of that was serious and how much of that was trolling was difficult to decipher.

Mr Trump also highlighted several other rising stars in the Republican Party he said are capable of carrying the MAGA mantle after he’s finished as the GOP’s elected leader.

He mentioned not only Vice President JD Vance but also Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who has become a central player in his second administration. “I’ll be an eight-year president, I’ll be a two-term president. I always thought that was very important,” Trump told “Meet the Press” moderator Kristen Welker in an interview that aired Sunday.

On running for a third term, Trump said “It’s something that, to the best of my knowledge, you’re not allowed to do. I don’t know if that’s constitutional that they’re not allowing you to do it or anything else.”

The Constitution’s 22nd Amendment says “no person shall be elected to the office of the President more than twice.” Amending the Constitution to abolish that limit would be extremely difficult, requiring the support of either two-thirds of both the House and Senate or two-thirds of state legislatures.

Trump told Welker he has had no official meetings specifically about establishing a pathway for a third term, including a scenario in which Vance would seek the presidency and then pass the role on to Trump.

“There are many people selling the 2028 hat,” Trump said. “But this is not something I’m looking to do. I’m looking to have four great years and turn it over to somebody, ideally a great Republican, a great Republican to carry it forward.”

The Trump 2028 talk was likely a tactic to divert attention away from some of the things Trump was trying to accomplish. But with Trump, there’s always a possibility for even the most unlikely things.