On Air Force One on Monday, President Donald J. Trump would not directly rule out a bid for a third term in 2028, telling reporters that he would “love to do it” even as he pointed to what he described as a series of foreign-policy achievements that have bolstered his standing with voters.
The exchange came as Mr. Trump traveled to Tokyo to meet Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi on the first leg of an Asia tour.
Asked about remarks by his former adviser Steve Bannon — who has suggested there could be “plans” for Mr. Trump to seek another term — the president deflected into a recital of diplomatic victories and a claim of unusually strong public support.
“I haven’t really thought about it,” he said. “We have some very good people as you know, but I have the best poll numbers I’ve ever had. I mean I just solved eight wars and a ninth is coming. I believe Russia Ukraine will happen.” He added, “We got a lot of pretty good credit,” and singled out Malaysia for a role in brokering a recent agreement: “I really have to thank Malaysia for that because the prime minister and everybody really helped get the two countries together. But, it was quite a great peace treaty. But that was one of eight and it makes me feel good. I mean it’s millions of people we saved. I saved the lives of millions of people. That’s what’s important.”
Pressing him more pointedly, a reporter asked whether Mr. Trump would “be willing to challenge at the court” to enable a run, a reference to legal theories that have circulated in some conservative circles. Mr. Trump sidestepped the legal question, instead praising his allies and indicating confidence in his political coalition. “We have great people,” he said. “We have JD [Vance] obviously. The vice president is great. Marco [Rubio] is great. I’m not sure if anybody would run against us. I think if they have a form to group it would be unstoppable, I do. I really believe that. I would love to do it. I have my best numbers ever.”
When a reporter asked flatly, “You’re not ruling out a third term?” the president replied, “Am I not ruling it out? I mean, you’ll have to tell me.” His answer underscored both an openness to the idea and a reluctance to be boxed in by hypotheticals.
Reporters also floated another speculative route: whether Mr. Trump might run as the vice-presidential nominee as a way to remain in the White House. Mr. Trump dismissed the notion as unserious politics.
“Yeah, I’d be allowed to do that,” he said at first, before rejecting the maneuver on grounds of optics. “I wouldn’t want– I wouldn’t do that. I think it’s too cute.” When pressed, he reiterated, “You’re ruling that out? … Yeah, I wouldn’t rule that out because it’s too cute. I think the people wouldn’t like that. It’s too cute. It’s not– it wouldn’t be right.”
Mr. Trump’s comments followed public provocations by Mr. Bannon, who told an interviewer last week that “Trump is going to be president in ’28,” and suggested there was a “plan” to that end. Mr. Bannon offered no details, saying only that “at the appropriate time, we’ll lay out what the plan is.” The president himself has at times sounded ambivalent, telling networks this year that he “probably not” would run in 2028 while also asserting in March that he was “not joking” about a third campaign because “we’re in the high 70s in many polls.”
For now, the president’s responses on Air Force One were a mixture of deflection, self-promotion and strategic ambiguity — a posture that keeps allies and opponents alike guessing about his long-term intentions while he highlights the foreign-policy record he says will undergird any future campaign.
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