Donald Trump would ‘love’ to serve a third term and a former White House strategist is looking into it, but one thing is for certain – he won’t take a demotion.
Speaking on his way from Malaysia to Japan, the second-term President was asked again if he was considering running for a third term despite being barred from doing so due to the 22nd Amendment.
Though it may be taken as a joke by some, the 79-year-old has repeatedly fielded questions on whether he would serve again in 2028.
He has even handed out red ‘Trump 2028’ hats to his closest fans, in addition to selling them on the Trump Organization’s website.
‘I would love to do it. I have my best [poll] numbers ever,’ Trump said of the idea of running again while speaking to reporters on Air Force One, adding he hasn’t ‘really thought about it.’
Trump’s approval rating is around 45 percent, according to the RealClearPolitics average.
There are many good candidates in his Cabinet and inner circle that would make great presidents, Trump explained.
A reporter then asked Trump a point-blank follow-up question about whether he has ruled out serving a third term in office.
‘Am I not ruling it out? You’ll have to tell me,’ Trump shot back, not denying the third-term plan.
Steve Bannon, a Trump adviser during the first term, stirred headlines recently after claiming that individuals are looking at plans to work around the two-term limit, prompting the question.
‘Trump is going to be president in ’28, and people ought to just get accommodated with that,’ Bannon told The Economist.
‘He’s going to get a third term… at the appropriate time, we’ll lay out what the plan is. ‘But there’s a plan.’
That plan does not include Trump serving as vice president, however.
‘Yeah, I’d be allowed to do that,’ Trump said of potentially running for VP in 2028 before admitting he ‘wouldn’t do that’ because ‘it’s too cute.’
‘I think the people wouldn’t like that. It’s too cute. It wouldn’t be right,’ he said.
If the president rules out running for a third term, he does have clear favorites for who the Republican ticket should be.
‘We have, JD, obviously, the Vice President is great. Marco is great. I think I’m not sure if anybody would run against those two.’
‘I think if they ever formed a group, it would be unstoppable,’ the president claimed.
In the same breath, he also chided New York Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a rumored 2028 presidential hopeful, and Texas Democratic Rep. Jasmine Crockett, one of his newest political rivals.
‘All I can tell you is that we have a great group of people, which they don’t. They have Jasmine Crockett, a low-IQ person. They have AOC who is low-IQ. You give her an IQ test, have her pass the exams that I decided to take when I was at Walter Reed.’
Trump landed in Japan late Monday evening and met with the emperor before several days of meetings, including with the country’s new prime minister.
The most crucial stop of the entire visit will happen after Japan in South Korea, where Trump is scheduled to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
The Republican also broadcast a message to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un while aboard Air Force One.
‘I haven’t mentioned it, I haven’t said anything, but I’d love to meet with him if he’d like to meet,’ Trump said. ‘If he wants to meet, I’ll be in South Korea.’
The president even said he’d extend his trip to Asia, which is supposed to conclude Thursday, if Kim agreed to a gathering.
‘Well, I haven’t thought of it … I think the answer would be yeah,’ Trump answered. ‘It is our last stop, so it’s pretty easy to do. I would meet with him.’
