Trump says 'it's pretty clear' he's 'not allowed to run' for third term

President Trump said Wednesday that "it's pretty clear" he's "not allowed to run" for a third term.

“I have my highest poll numbers that I've ever had, and, you know, based on what I read, I guess I'm not allowed to run. So, we'll see what happens,” Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One while flying to Gyeongju, South Korea, ABC News reported.

“I would say that if you read it, it's pretty clear. I'm not allowed to run. It's too bad, but we have a lot of great people,” he added.

Trump has talked about the possibility of a third term multiple times since he returned to the White House in January. The 22nd Amendment, which was added to the Constitution after President Franklin D. Roosevelt was elected to four terms in office, limits presidents to two terms.

The prospect of Trump running for a third term in 2028 gained traction again after the president's former adviser, Steve Bannon, said recently that there was a “plan” to keep him in office, but did not elaborate, The Hill news outlet reported.

On Monday, when asked about Bannon’s comments, Trump said he’d “love to” run for a third term, but added, “I haven’t really thought about it.”

“We have JD [Vance] obviously — the vice president is great,” he said. “Marco [Rubio]’s great. I’m not sure if anybody would run against those two. I think if they formed a group it would be unstoppable.”

“I would love to do it — I have the best numbers ever!” Trump added. “Am I not ruling it out? You’ll have to tell me. All I can tell you is that we have a great group of people, which they [the Democrats] don’t.”

He dismissed a plan that some supporters have suggested, in which he would run as vice president in 2028 and then take over the presidency when the winner stepped aside.

“I’d be allowed to do that,” Trump said. “But I wouldn’t do it. It’s too cute. I think the people wouldn’t like that. It wouldn’t be right.”

House Speaker Mike Johnson said Tuesday that he had talked to Trump about the constitutional term limits.

“It’s been a great run, but I think the president knows — and he and I’ve talked about the constrictions of the Constitution, as much as so many of the American people lament that,” Johnson told reporters.