Trump says he’s ‘not allowed’ to run for third term, ‘too bad’

President Donald Trump said Wednesday he is “not authorized” to seek a third term, recognizing the limits set by the U.S. Constitution.

Trump and his supporters have repeatedly raised the issue of a 2028 presidential run for the 79-year-old, sparking concern from his enemies and cheers from his supporters.

“I had the highest poll numbers I’ve ever had, and you know, from what I’ve read, I guess I’m not allowed to run, so we’ll see what happens… It’s a shame,” Trump said on Air Force One.

The US Constitution limits presidents to two terms, and Trump began his second in January.

Trump, who served his first term from 2017 to 2021, often mentions that his supporters have asked him to govern beyond his current term, despite constitutional restrictions.

The former reality TV star also recently displayed red hats emblazoned with the slogan “Trump 2028” on a desk in the Oval Office.

A popular theory among his supporters is that Vice President JD Vance could run for president in 2028 on a ticket with Trump.

Trump dismissed the idea this week and said Wednesday it was “pretty clear” he wouldn’t be able to run again.

“But we have a lot of great people,” he said.

House Speaker Mike Johnson told reporters at a news conference at the Capitol on Tuesday that he had discussed with Trump the possibility of running for a third term, but that he didn’t “see a path forward.”

“It’s been a great ride, but I think the president knows, and he and I have talked about this, the restrictions of the Constitution,” Johnson said.

“There’s the 22nd Amendment,” Johnson added, saying that while Trump likes to taunt Democrats with slogans and hats with “Trump 2028” printed on the front, the Constitution is clear.

“I don’t see a way to change the Constitution because it takes about 10 years,” Johnson added.

“It would take two-thirds of Congress and three-quarters of the states to ratify it. I don’t see a path forward for that.”

Talk of a third term came after Steve Bannon, a former Trump adviser and a leading ideologue of the Make America Great Again movement, said last week that “there was a plan” to keep him in the White House.

“He’s going to get a third term… Trump will be president in ’28. And people should live with that,” Bannon told The Economist.

Asked about the 22nd Amendment, which imposes term limits, Bannon said: “There are many different alternatives. When the time comes, we will lay out the plan.”