When a reporter asked him if he didn’t rule out a third term, he said: “Am I not ruling it out? I mean, you’ll have to tell me.”
Charging
Asked if he would be willing to fight in court over the legality of another presidential bid, Trump responded: “I haven’t really thought about it.”
Trump, 79, would turn 82 in 2028 if he sought another term, making him the oldest US president in history. Despite his age, he has maintained a rigorous public agenda, frequently interacting with journalists even during long international trips, underscoring his resilience and active participation in daily presidential tasks.
Throughout the 2024 campaign, Trump made former President Joe Biden’s advanced age a focal point, often highlighting verbal and physical errors as evidence that his Democratic rival was too old to effectively lead the country.
Trump also said Monday that Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio were “great people” who could seek the presidency in 2028.
“I think if they ever formed a group, it would be unstoppable,” he said. “I really believe that. I believe that.”
Rubio, standing behind Trump in the plane cabin, chuckled and bowed his head sheepishly when Trump predicted a bright political future for him and nodded when Trump mentioned Vance.
Trump’s talk about a third term has clouded the future of the Republican Party, and jockeying is already underway among potential Republican successors, even as some Trump allies back the idea of him staying in office.
In an interview last week with The economistSteve Bannon, the pro-Trump podcaster who briefly served as Trump’s White House chief strategist in his first term, said there was a plan to circumvent the 22nd Amendment and suggested he was involved in its development.
“Trump will be president in ’28 and people should adjust to that,” he said. “At the appropriate time, we will lay out what the plan is. But there is a plan.”
Bannon added that Trump was an “instrument of divine will,” echoing language Trump himself has occasionally used.
Reuters
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