President Donald Trump dismissed speculation on Sunday that he plans to run for a constitutionally banned third term in office, saying he has no intention of pursuing it.
In an interview aired on NBC’s Meet the Press, Trump responded to host Kristen Welker’s question about the possibility of seeking a third term by saying, “So many people want me to do it.” However, he added, “It’s something that, to the best of my knowledge, you’re not allowed to do. I don’t know if that’s constitutional. But this is not something I’m looking to do.”
Welker then asked Trump about potential successors to lead the “MAGA” movement after his presidency. Trump pointed to Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio as strong candidates. “There’s a lot of them that are great,” he said. “I also see tremendous unity. But certainly, you would say that somebody’s the VP — if that person is outstanding, I guess that person would have an advantage.”
The wide-ranging interview also touched on illegal immigration. Trump reiterated that he would not be lifting his emergency declaration related to immigration anytime soon. “We have an emergency. We have a massive emergency overall,” he stated.
According to the Trump administration, illegal border crossings have decreased by about 96% compared to the numbers seen under President Joe Biden’s administration, though recent deportation policies have encountered legal obstacles.
“The border now is not the emergency,” Trump said. “It’s all part of the same thing though. The big emergency right now is that we have thousands of people that we want to take out, and we have some judges that want everybody to go to court.”
The White House recently reported that 139,000 deportations have taken place since Trump’s inauguration, just ahead of marking his first 100 days in office.