Steve Bannon is urging Donald Trump to contemplate a third run for the presidency in 2028.
The polarizing political advisor claimed that the two-term limit imposed on U.S. presidents does not apply to Trump due to the non-consecutive nature of his terms.
“I don’t know, perhaps we should do it again in ’28,” Bannon remarked to the New York Young Republican Club on Sunday. “Are you all in for that?” he added, eliciting a loud round of applause. “Trump ’28, come on, man!”
Trump has often hinted at the possibility of a fourth run, despite the clear stipulation in the 22nd Amendment of the Constitution, ratified in 1951, which states that “no person shall be elected to the office of President more than twice.”
While the president-elect has shown a readiness to stretch constitutional interpretations, initiating an amendment would necessitate two-thirds majorities in both the House and Senate—considerably more than the slim majorities held by Republicans—or two-thirds of state legislatures could call for a constitutional convention to propose alterations.
Bannon seemed untroubled by any potential legal obstacles at the annual Young Republicans Club gala, referring to Trump’s assertion that he won the 2020 election. “Donald John Trump will raise his hand on the King James Bible and take the oath of office, marking his third victory and second term,” he stated.
He further alluded to the possibility of a 2028 campaign, citing Trump supporter and self-proclaimed “viceroy” Mike Davis, who suggested that a third term is viable “since it doesn’t specify consecutive.”
The 22nd Amendment was enacted by Congress in response to President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s four-term election from 1933 to 1945. Former New York Mayor Thomas E. Dewey referred to the idea of four terms as “the most dangerous threat to our freedom ever proposed” back in 1944.
In a farewell interview with CNN on Sunday, outgoing former presidential candidate Mitt Romney forecasted that Trump’s Vice President-elect JD Vance is likely to run for the presidency in four years.
Romney described Vance as “intelligent, articulate, and part of the MAGA movement.”
“MAGA represents the Republican Party, and Donald Trump embodies the Republican Party at this moment; if you were to ask me about the nominee for 2028, I would say it’s JD Vance,” he concluded.
