In a striking statement, given his history of grandiloquent phrases, Donald Trump seemed to rule out a fourth attempt to reach the presidency and also admitted that there is a possibility that he could legitimately lose the elections.
Generally, the Republican candidate insists that this is only possible if there is "widespread fraud," as he falsely claimed in 2020 and has reiterated preventively during his current campaign.
Former President Trump stated on Sunday that he does not "believe" he will run for president again in 2028 if he loses in his current attempt to return to the White House in 2024. "No, I don't believe so. I think that will be it," declared the Republican magnate when journalist Sharyl Attkisson asked him if he would run again.
What could prevent Trump from running in 2028?
Trump would be 82 years old in 2028, one year older than the current age of President Joe Biden.
The current president withdrew from the race in July after a disastrous performance in the debate and after several months of being criticized by Trump and other conservatives for being too old and having a behavior too erratic for the position.
Attkisson interviewed Trump for her program "Full Measure". During the 22-minute interview, Trump defended his performance during the coronavirus pandemic and credited himself with the development of COVID-19 vaccines manufactured during his presidency.
Trump still indicated that Republicans have become skeptical about vaccines even though Democrats trust them.
His statement about 2028 came towards the end of the interview, which also included a question about how Trump maintains good health. "I eat properly," the former president replied, prompting a reaction of disbelief from Atkinson, who highlighted Trump's fondness for hamburgers. "Proper hamburgers," the Republican said.
In any case, Trump could only run in 2028 if he loses on November 5th against Kamala Harris. If he wins, he would not be able to run again because the U.S. Constitution, under the 22nd Amendment, limits presidents to two terms, whether consecutive or not.