Trump says he will not take advantage of “legal loopholes” to seek a third term but avoids talking about being vice president

In the midst of The Trump Organization’s recent commercial campaign to sell hats and t-shirts with the slogan “Trump 2028,” accompanied by the phrase “rewrite the rules,” the President of the United States gave an interview to Time magazine where he said he has no intention of resorting to “legal loopholes” to run for a third term.

The 22nd Amendment of the Constitution stipulates that “no one can be elected president more than two times”, but far-right activists like Steve Bannon have said that there are “a couple of alternatives” and that they were examining “the limits of the constitutional definition.”

One of these options is the possibility of Trump running for the 2028 elections as a candidate for vice president on a potential ticket with JD Vance, but this option is also prohibited by the Constitution, whose 12th amendment specifies that “no person ineligible for the office of President under the Constitution shall be eligible for that of Vice President of the United States.”

The only alternative for the Republicans would be a reform in Congress, but for that they need two-thirds and they are far from that scenario.

What did Trump say about a third term?

The interview with Time magazine was recorded on April 22, before the sale of products with the slogan “Trump 2028” was known, and it was aired this Friday, the 25th.

The U.S. President said that those well-known legal gaps have been discussed, without giving further details, before stating that he does not agree with going down that path.

“I don’t believe in loopholes,” commented Donald Trump, who has preferred to focus on his current mandate. “I am doing a good job, my physical condition is great, and I have aced my cognitive exam,” he assured.

But when asked about running as vice president in 2028, as a running mate of JD Vance or another Republican, he simply said, "I don’t know anything about" and that "he is flooded with requests“.

The commercial and political campaign of “Trump 2028” is happening at the moment of his lowest approval rating since he assumed the presidency of the United States for the second time on January 20. According to Fox News, a conservative channel, it reached 44%, the lowest approval rating for the first 100 days of government compared to Joe Biden (54%), Barack Obama (62%), George W. Bush (63%), and Trump’s first term (45%).