Despite being constitutionally barred from seeking a third term, President Donald Trump continues to tease the idea of a 2028 campaign — and a new poll shows most Americans aren’t on board.
“It will be the greatest honor of my life to serve, not once but twice or three times or four times,” Trump declared at a January rally in Nevada, less than a week after his second inauguration. Though he laughed off the statement moments later, clarifying, “No, it will be to serve twice,” the suggestion sparked headlines — and speculation.
That wasn’t a one-time joke. Trump has continued to drop hints about a potential 2028 bid.
“A lot of people want me to do it,” Trump told NBC News in a recent phone interview. “But, I mean, I basically tell them we have a long way to go, you know, it’s very early in the administration.”
However, Trump’s musings run into a major legal wall: the 22nd Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. Ratified in 1951, the amendment limits presidents to two elected terms. The law was passed in the wake of Franklin D. Roosevelt’s unprecedented four-term presidency.
It’s not just the Constitution standing in Trump’s way — public opinion isn’t on his side either.
According to a Reuters/Ipsos national poll conducted April 16–21, 75% of Americans believe Trump should not run for a third term. Even among Republicans, 53% oppose the idea of him trying to return to the White House again in 2028.
The poll surveyed 4,306 U.S. adults and has a margin of error of plus or minus 2 percentage points.
While Trump remains the dominant figure in the Republican Party and enjoys near-total loyalty from much of the GOP base, the latest numbers suggest that even some supporters are uneasy about him pushing the boundaries of presidential norms — or the law.
For now, the idea of a Trump 2028 run remains hypothetical. But as history has shown, Trump rarely floats ideas without intent — and his remarks may be laying the groundwork for another showdown over constitutional limits.