22nd Amendment to the US Constitution bars anyone from being elected president more than twice
US President Donald Trump has acknowledged that the US Constitution prevents him from seeking a third term in office, effectively ending speculation about a potential 2032 run.
Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One while en route to South Korea on Wednesday, Trump said,
“If you read it, it’s pretty clear — I’m not allowed to run. It’s too bad.”
The statement marks a rare moment of clarity from the president, who has previously teased the idea of pursuing a third term despite the 22nd Amendment explicitly forbidding it.
The 22nd Amendment to the US Constitution, ratified in 1951, limits any individual to two elected terms as president, a safeguard introduced after Franklin D. Roosevelt’s four-term presidency.
‘It’s been a great run,’ says Speaker Johnson
US House Speaker Mike Johnson confirmed that he discussed the issue with Trump earlier this week.
“It’s been a great run,” Johnson said. “But I think the president knows — and he and I have talked about — the constrictions of the Constitution.”
Johnson added that amending the Constitution to allow a third term would be nearly impossible in the near future, explaining that such a process would require two-thirds approval in Congress and ratification by three-fourths of US states, a process that could take up to a decade.
“I don’t see the path for that,” he said, noting that attempts to alter the two-term limit lack both political and public support.
Trump’s allies continue to float legal theories
Despite Trump’s admission, several of his allies — including former White House strategist Steve Bannon — have floated legal challenges to the 22nd Amendment, arguing it could be interpreted differently or overturned through judicial review.
Trump has often joked about a possible third run at campaign rallies and has even sold “Trump 2028” merchandise, which Speaker Johnson characterized as “political theater.”
“He has a good time with that, trolling the Democrats whose hair is on fire about the very prospect,” Johnson added.
Looking ahead to 2028
At 79 years old, Trump has hinted that he may instead throw his support behind future Republican leaders such as Vice President JD Vance or Secretary of State Marco Rubio in the 2028 election.
If Trump were to run again, he would be 82 years old by the time of the 2032 election — making him the oldest presidential candidate in US history.
For now, the president’s remarks appear to close the chapter on any third-term ambitions, reaffirming the constitutional boundaries that have defined the American presidency for over seven decades.
