President Donald Trump dismisses the idea of running for Vice President in 2028 as “too cute,” yet teases that a third presidential term might still be possible under the right circumstances.
Aboard Air Force One, en route from Kuala Lumpur to Tokyo, U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday firmly rejected a creative—but controversial—proposal from his supporters: running as Vice President in 2028 to reclaim the presidency through succession.
“I’d be allowed to do that,” Trump said with a grin, referencing the constitutional gray area that some legal scholars claim could permit him to serve again if an elected president were to resign. But he immediately dismissed the maneuver, calling it beneath the dignity of the office.
“I wouldn’t do that. I think it’s too cute,” Trump told reporters. “The people wouldn’t like that—it wouldn’t be right.”
The discussion touches directly on the 22nd Amendment, which bars any person from being elected president more than twice but does not explicitly prohibit someone from serving again through succession. Trump’s comments, therefore, simultaneously closed one door while leaving another slightly ajar.
Despite rejecting the vice-presidential route, Trump once again flirted with the notion of a third term, saying,
“I would love to do it. I have my best numbers ever.”
When pressed about whether he was officially ruling out a third term, Trump’s reply was characteristically cryptic:
“Am I not ruling it out? I mean, you’ll have to tell me.”
The president also praised his closest allies, Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, describing them as future powerhouses of the Republican Party.
“If they ever formed a group, it’d be unstoppable,” Trump said, adding that Vance currently leads the pack as his most likely successor. “It’s too early to talk about it, but he’s doing a great job, and he’d probably be favored at this point.”
Trump’s remarks follow his March 2025 statement that he was “not joking” about exploring legal avenues for another run, hinting at constitutional methods to extend his influence beyond the traditional two terms.
Political analysts say Trump’s calculated ambiguity keeps his base energized and his rivals uncertain — a strategic move that ensures the Trump era may not end anytime soon.
