WASHINGTON (Reuters) -U.S. President Donald Trump appeared to close the door on seeking a third term in office, acknowledging that the Constitution bars him from running again after his current term ends in January 2029.
“If you read it, it’s pretty clear — I’m not allowed to run. It’s too bad,” Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One on Wednesday en route to South Korea, signaling a shift from earlier comments in which he declined to definitively rule out another bid.
The 22nd Amendment to the U.S. Constitution bars anyone from being elected to the U.S. presidency a third time, but Trump has publicly toyed with the idea since he won a second term in November.
U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson said on Tuesday that he had discussed the issue with Trump and concluded there was no viable path to amend the Constitution in time to allow a third term. “It’s been a great run,” Johnson said. “But I think the president knows, and he and I have talked about, the constrictions of the Constitution.”
Johnson noted that the amendment process would require two-thirds approval in Congress and ratification by three-fourths of the states, a process he estimated could take a decade. “I don’t see the path for that,” he added.
Trump’s allies, including former strategist Steve Bannon, have floated legal theories challenging the two-term limit established by the 22nd Amendment.
Trump has referenced the idea at rallies and sells “Trump 2028” merchandise, though Johnson characterized it as political theater. “He has a good time with that, trolling the Democrats whose hair is on fire about the very prospect,” Johnson said.
Trump, 79, also pointed earlier this week to Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio as potential Republican contenders for the 2028 election. If he were to run again, Trump would be 82, making him the oldest president in U.S. history.
(Reporting by Susan Heavey and Trevor Hunnicutt; Editing by Caitlin Webber, Alison Williams, Noeleen Walder and Christian Schmollinger)
