US President Donald Trump has dismissed speculation that he may seek a third presidential term, reaffirming that he intends to serve only two terms as allowed under the US Constitution.
“I’ll be an eight-year president, I’ll be a two-term president. I always thought that was very important,” Trump said in an interview with NBC’s Meet the Press host Kristen Welker, aired on Sunday. The interview, recorded Friday at his Florida residence, comes days after Trump celebrated his first 100 days of his second term in office.
The 78-year-old president sought to end growing speculation after his past comments and the sale of “Trump 2028” hats by his company, The Trump Organisation, sparked questions about his long-term political ambitions. Trump has previously suggested, jokingly or otherwise, that he could serve a third or even fourth term. He later claimed such comments were meant to provoke the media.
Despite saying he had received “many requests” from supporters encouraging him to remain in office beyond 2029, Trump clarified: “This is not something I’m looking to do.” He acknowledged that the US Constitution does not permit a third term, stating, “To the best of my knowledge, you’re not allowed to do it.”
The 22nd Amendment to the US Constitution, ratified in 1951, clearly states: “No person shall be elected to the office of the President more than twice.” Amending it would require supermajority approval in Congress and ratification by three-quarters of state legislatures—an extremely high threshold.
Still, some Trump supporters have pointed to theoretical loopholes, although none have been tested in court. When asked whether anyone had presented such ideas to him, Trump said only that “many people have said different things.”
During the interview, Trump also addressed concerns over the state of the US economy, which recently contracted for the first time since 2022 following the latest wave of tariffs introduced under his trade policies. Dismissing criticism, he said, “This is a transition period. I think we’re going to do fantastically.”
Asked if the economic slowdown might persist, Trump acknowledged uncertainty but remained optimistic: “Anything can happen. But I think we’re going to have the greatest economy in the history of our country.” He also floated the possibility of making tariffs permanent, arguing they would encourage companies to invest in the US.
In response to concerns that the ongoing trade war might lead to reduced availability of consumer goods, Trump downplayed the potential impact. “They don’t need to have 30 dolls. They can have three. They don’t need to have 250 pencils. They can have five,” he said.
While ruling out a third term for himself, Trump named several potential successors within the Republican Party, including Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
Melissa Enoch
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