US President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that he is “not allowed” to contest for a third presidential term, even though he currently has what he calls his strongest polling numbers.“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… It’s too bad,” Trump said aboard Air Force One.Trump also indicated that he does not plan to take legal steps to challenge the rule that limits presidents to two terms. “If you read it, it’s pretty clear, I’m not allowed to run it’s too bad,” he told reporters while travelling to South Korea, as quoted by news agency Associated Press.Under the 22nd Amendment of the US Constitution, a president cannot be elected more than twice. The amendment says: “No person shall be elected to the office of the president more than twice, and no person who has held the office of president, or acted as president, for more than two years of a term to which some other person was elected president shall be elected to the office of the president more than once.”Despite this, the idea of a third term has been raised multiple times by Trump and his supporters. Trump has previously joked about remaining in office for 25 years. During a recent meeting with congressional leaders, hats reading “Trump 2028” were seen on his desk. Some Republican leaders have also publicly supported the possibility. Last week, Steve Bannon — a former Trump adviser — claimed there was a “plan” that could allow Trump to seek another term, though he did not explain how.On October 27, Trump was asked by reporters about running again. Trump answered: “I haven’t really thought about it. But I have the best poll numbers that I’ve ever had.”To change the Constitution, two-thirds of both the House of Representatives and the Senate must approve the amendment, followed by ratification from three-fourths of US states. While Republicans currently control both chambers of Congress, they do not have the required two-thirds majority. Democrats currently control 18 state legislatures.Supporters of Trump have pointed to a possible legal path around the restriction. They argue that the amendment only mentions being “elected” and does not prohibit a person from becoming president through “succession.” Following this argument, Trump could run as vice president in 2028 with another candidate — possibly his current vice president, JD Vance. If they won, the elected president could resign, allowing Trump to return to the presidency.Bannon told The Economist: “Trump is going to be president in ’28, and people ought to just get accommodated with that. At the appropriate time, we’ll lay out what the plan is.”Trump, however, downplayed the possibility of using a succession strategy. “I think people wouldn’t like that,” he said. “It’s too cute. It wouldn’t be right.”Trump has kept the discussion about a third term open, but he has not given any details about how he plans to pursue it.
