PRESIDENT Donald Trump has revealed the truth about a potential run for a third term, promising a 2028 election bid would be a “big shattering.”
Trump has previously said he is “not joking” about another possible term in the White House.
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The president boasted about both his power at home and influence abroad in a new interview with The Atlantic.
“The first time, I had two things to do — run the country and survive,” Trump said, adding, “I had all these crooked guys.”
“And the second time, I run the country and the world,” the president said.
In March, Trump made shockwaves when he suggested that he was serious about a third term as president.
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He told NBC News at the time that “a lot of people want me to do it.”
“But, I mean, I basically tell them we have a long way to go, you know, it’s very early in the administration,” he added.
And just last week, Trump’s real estate company, the Trump Organization, dropped a new version of Trump’s classic “Make America Great Again” hat.
This time, the red hat simply says, “Trump 2028,” which is the next presidential election year.
The $50 hat was modeled by Eric Trump, the president’s second-oldest child, on the company’s official online store.
Kimberly Benza, a spokesperson for the Trump Organization, told the New York Post that the new merchandise was put online “because it’s amazing.”
Trump said in his interview published Monday that it “would be a big shattering” if he ran for reelection.
He added: “Well, maybe I’m just trying to shatter.”
But he then admitted: “It’s not something that I’m looking to do.
“And I think it would be a very hard thing to do.”
The 22nd Amendment of the Constitution states that “no person shall be elected to the office of the President more than twice.”
It was created in 1951 after President Franklin D. Roosevelt was elected for four consecutive terms.
What is the 22nd Amendment?
THE 22nd Amendment makes up part of the United States Constitution.
The ruling places a limit on the number of terms a political candidate can serve as the president.
It was first made part of the Constitution on February, 27, 1951 and stated no individual can be elected to the office of President more than twice.
This amendment was introduced following Franklin D. Roosevelt’s unprecedented four terms as president.
His reign is said to have been widely flagged by raising concerns about the concentration of power and increased the desire to formalise term limits.
Roosevelt broke the tradition set by George Washington who voluntarily stepped down after two terms.
Both Ronald Reagan and Barack Obama have expressed some regret over only serving eight years.
But Trump did say last month that, “There are methods which you could do it,” referring to a run for a third term.
One method that the president was confronted with was the possibility of Vice President JD Vance running for president in 2028 to then “pass the baton” to Trump after being elected.
Trump slyly responded: “Well that’s one.”
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt has previously called out reporters for spiraling over Trump’s comments.
“You guys continue to ask the president this question about a third term and then he answers honestly and candidly with a smile and then everybody here melts down about his answer,” she said outside the White House in March.