After Donald Trump assumed the presidency back in January 2025, one question that has been discussed is whether Trump could make a return in 2028. In his first month as President, Trump made a joke about running in 2028, but quickly downplayed this comment. Yet this was not the last time Trump would make such comments. On March 29th, 2025, Donald Trump spoke with NBC News, stating he was “not joking” about running for a third term. Trump went along and said there are methods for this to take place. Here is a statement from the article: “A lot of people want me to do it, Trump said in a Sunday-morning phone call with NBC News, referring to his allies. But, I mean, I basically tell them we have a long way to go, you know, it’s very early in the administration.”
While it may be surprising to hear this, a movement has formed called the Third Term Project: their goal is to elect Trump for an unprecedented third term. This project has a website online, detailing the proposed resolution presented by Andy Olges to amend the 22nd Amendment, which would allow Trump to run for a third term. Here is the language as followed: “No person shall be elected to the office of the President more than three times, nor be elected to any additional term after being elected to two consecutive terms, 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 twice.’’
Andy Olges praised Trump’s leadership and said the following: “In just a few short days, President Trump has already taken action to undo the catastrophic policies of the Biden Administration and put the United States back on the path to strength and prosperity. He has tackled the crisis at our Southern border by declaring a national emergency, deploying additional troops and resources to curb illegal crossings, and expediting the completion of the border wall. In a similar vein, he issued an order to end birthright citizenship for children born in the United States to illegal aliens.”
Olges addressed the issues facing our country today, including “a surge in drug overdoses and violent crime.” He also states, “Soaring gas and groceries costs have crushed countless families’ financial security. Radical LGBTQ+ agendas have infiltrated schools and workplaces, while DEI mandates have destroyed small businesses, wasted taxpayer dollars, and corrupted hiring practices.” This is a harsh rhetoric used to justify why Trump should be allowed to run again. Olges attributed these issues to the Biden Administration, stating they “subjected Americans to relentless abuses that will take a decade to correct.”
What have polls shown? According to Newsweek, 29% of all respondents in a poll of 2,491 registered voters said “Trump Trump was eligible for a third term in the White House, while 49 percent of MAGA-identifying Republicans said the same.
Here is an in-depth analysis of the poll conducted in early April: “The SurveyUSA poll found that 71 percent of respondents did not believe Trump was eligible to run for president again—including 91 percent of Democrats and 78 percent of independents. Among Republicans, 45 percent believed the 78-year-old could not seek a third term in 2028, while 42 percent believed he could. When broken down further, 49 percent of MAGA Republicans believed the president was eligible for a third term, compared to 36 percent who thought he was not. Among non-MAGA Republicans, 64 percent said Trump was not eligible to run again, while 28 percent believed he was. The poll had a margin of error of plus or minus 2.1 percentage points.
With this in mind, Trump’s comments show he is serious about running for a 3rd term. Although the 22nd Amendment prohibits anyone from holding the office of the President for 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.”
After Trump’s comments, one method suggested was having JD Vance lead the 2028 Republican ticket. Donald Trump would join his campaign as his VP, and once elected, JD Vance would step down as President, handing over power to Trump to fulfill a third term. However, the 12th Amendment states the following: “anyone who is “constitutionally ineligible” to serve as president also cannot serve as vice president.
As outlined by Newsweek, several figures, such as Philip Klinkner, have stated that if Trump manages to stay in office well beyond the end of his second term, “then we will need to close the book on American democracy. It will show that there are no longer any laws, practices, or institutions that can contain him. And if Trump can stay in office past 2029, then we might as well declare him ‘president for life,’ similar to the title given to several African dictators.”
What has Steve Bannon, former White House chief strategist, said about Trump running in 2028? In an interview with Bill Maher on April 11, Bannon said Donald Trump will run for President in 2028 and be reelected: “On the afternoon of January 20, 2029, he’s going to be president of the United States.” Pam Bondi, the Attorney General of the United States, has also said that Trump is a smart man and she wishes he (Trump) could serve for about 20 years as President, but stated Trump will probably be finished after his current term.
If Trump were to run for a third term, he would likely face legal challenges. A talk of a possible 3rd term is unprecedented. We’re not sure exactly how this could unfold, given that we’re years away from the 2028 Election.
Popularity – Approval Ratings
Many Americans continue to be divided over how the Trump administration has handled issues, both abroad and domestically. PBS, the Public Broadcasting Service, conducted a poll and reported that support for Donald Trump is higher than his first term. 49% disapproved of Trump’s job performance, while 45% approved of his record, and 36% of Americans from the poll said that they strongly approve of his performance.
They also found that 45% of Americans said that the United States was heading in the right direction, “up 10 points from December and now at the second-highest point of the last 15 years. Even still, the poll found more than half of Americans (54 percent) believe the country is headed in the wrong direction.” Poll respondents from the PBS poll described “Trump’s first month everything from “fabulous” to “chaos” to “disaster.” Impressions were divided strongly along party lines, and none of the people we spoke to changed their views of Trump since the election.”
Donald Trump has signed numerous executive orders in the first few months of his second term. One of the executive orders that Trump has signed includes dismantling the Department of Education. Another executive order was to limit birthright citizenship, which has faced numerous lawsuits. A summary of the executive orders signed by President Trump can be found by using the following link: these executive orders are related to Immigration.
The public has noted how quickly Donald Trump is rushing to make decisions, without considering the impact. In the latest poll from about a month ago, 56% of respondents agreed with the statement: “That includes two-thirds of independents and 11 percent of Trump voters. Another 43 percent of Americans believe the president is doing what needs to be done to get the government on track.” While these polls were conducted about a month ago, they give us an in-depth analysis of what Americans are feeling about the current administration.
In the article, Gilbert Diaz, a republican who voted for Trump, said the following: “We have to correct the destruction that has happened to our country and our society over the last four years,” he said. “But you cannot turn [around] all the years of damage in one or two or three or four months. It’s much easier to destroy things than build them.” To hear more about other comments discussed on PBS, check the following link. The article also provides an insight into what Americans are feeling about Elon Musk and the recent layoffs of federal employees.
It’s important to reiterate that a 3rd term is highly unlikely to occur, given the current stance between the Democrats and Republicans. To make any kind of Amendment requires significant bipartisan support from both parties. Of course, we have to wait and see what takes place in the coming years. However, it’s safe to say that Donald Trump will remain a two-term president. Will he continue to face controversy during this term? Yes, and numerous lawsuits will continue, challenging Trump’s mandate. It’s hard to predict how America will unfold during the next 4 years. Continue to have your voices heard, but never resort to violence because violence will never resolve a dispute.
I will also leave an article for you to check on your own. It highlights the similarities and differences between Donald Trump and Ronald Reagan. Here is a summary of the article, published last December, but the facts are relevant today.
Summary from El Pais
Many trace the right-wing movements back to the 2016 election, when Donald Trump was elected President; however, the roots go much deeper. The ideological groundwork was laid in the 1980s by Ronald Reagan and Margaret Thatcher: these two political figures fused aggressive free-market economics with conservative social values and assertive foreign policy. This blend, which came to define neoliberalism and neoconservatism, paved the way for today’s strongman politics. One example that exposed the weaknesses of this system was the 2008 financial crisis that set the stage for leaders like Trump and Argentina’s Javier Milei, who have resurfaced the push for strongman leadership, with a bit of a twist: “deglobalization, in the form of fierce protectionism and tariff wars.”
The CNN documentary The Reagan Show explores Reagan’s presidency through the lens of media performance. Reagan, like Trump, was an outsider: how you may ask. First, Reagan was a popular figure in the film industry and had previously served as the Governor of California. Reagan was known as the great communicator, who not only loved the cameras but was always eager to “be in front of it. And he had a knack for irony.” The film highlights his role in thawing Cold War tensions with Gorbachev, while downplaying his aggressive interventions in Latin America and the Iran-Contra scandal.
Though both Reagan and Trump share a flair for showmanship and a disdain for the political establishment, their policies and personas differ. Reagan embraced free trade and immigration reform, while the Trump platform has leaned toward isolationism and nativism. Reagan never challenged democratic institutions the way Trump did, particularly in the events leading to January 6, 2021.
By the end of the article, it argues that while Reagan shaped the modern conservative right, Trump has taken it in a far more extreme and polarizing direction: one that “seems to be heralding a dystopia.”
I believe the rise of Donald Trump can be attributed to many factors, including that Americans favor a President who represents their values. Polls continue to show support for Donald Trump. It’s hard to understand what led Trump to develop these policies. We know that Trump favors policies that focus on putting America first. But this comes at a price. Americans generally may feel misrepresented, which can lead to discrimination against minority groups. Donald Trump will continue to push his agenda forward. We shouldn’t expect the worst. Who knows, we might be surprised by one of his policies in the next 4 years. Time will only tell. We have 4 years left before the next election in 2028. Many candidates will run for president, especially since both major parties will focus on having a candidate who represents the values of the American people. Donald Trump likely won’t run for president again, but his policies could help shape the next rising candidate within the Republican Party. It’s hard to predict who, but we must be patient. America will always be a country of freedom and possibility. Americans will make the right choice. Never underestimate the value of voting and political efficacy. Our votes and voices matter.
Continue to stay informed. Every day, there is something new to hear about the current administration. Remember, we’re the next generation of leaders who will transform this country and elect the right candidates who represent our values.
