On Wednesday morning, President Donald Trump acknowledged that he is aware he cannot pursue a third term, despite previously expressing a desire to do so.
The acknowledgment came as Trump was aboard Air Force One, leaving Tokyo, Japan, en route to Gyeongju, South Korea, where he is set to attend the APEC conference.
During his visit, Trump is scheduled for a critical meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping, who has removed term limits for his own presidency.
Controversy has trailed Trump on his Asian tour, partly due to comments made by his former strategist, Steve Bannon.
Bannon suggested that Trump could potentially secure a third term, hinting at a “plan” to make it happen.
However, the 22nd Amendment of the U.S. Constitution clearly prohibits Trump, who has already been elected twice, from running again.
‘I have the best numbers for any president in many years, any president, and I would say, you read it, it’s pretty clear I’m not allowed to run,’ Trump said. ‘It’s too bad. But we have a lot of great people.’
Trump was asked more questions about a third term Wednesday morning after House Speaker Mike Johnson said at a press conference Tuesday that ‘I don’t see a path for that,’ pointing out it generally takes at least a decade to amend the Constitution.
President Donald Trump admitted Wednesday morning that he knew he was ‘not allowed to run’ for a third term, after stoking that it was something that he’d ‘love to’ do
Johnson added that Trump has ‘a good time with that trolling the Democrats, whose hair is on fire by the very prospect.’
When Trump was first asked about Johnson’s comments he answered, ‘I don’t want to even talk about that,’ boasting about a handful of accomplishments.
‘So we have the greatest economy we’ve ever had. I have my highest poll numbers that I’ve ever had. And, you know, based on what I read, I guess I’m not allowed to run,’ Trump answered. ‘So we’ll see what happens.’
When a reporter brought up how Johnson said Trump was floating a third term to troll Democrats, the president disputed that’s what the House Speaker said.
‘I don’t think he said that, I don’t think he’d use that term,’ the president answered.
During Monday’s Air Force One ride between Malaysia and Japan reporters asked Trump specifically about Bannon’s comments.
He played coy at first.
‘I would love to do it,’ he then said. ‘I have my best numbers ever.’
The controversy over Steve Bannon pushing that there was a ‘plan’ for President Donald Trump to serve an unconstitutional third term as followed the president to Asia. He addressed reporters Wednesday morning as he flew between Japan and South Korea
Democrats and critics of Trump in his own party have called out his third term talk, pointing to what happened during the transition period after the Republican lost reelection in 2020 to President Joe Biden.
Trump attempted to stay in power by falsely claiming Biden had stolen the election using widespread voter fraud.
In reality, Biden won the election but Republicans were angry that so many state legislatures allowed for the proliferation of mail-in ballots, something that was being done due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
Trump’s ‘big lie’ ultimately led to the January 6, 2021 Capitol attack.
On Monday, when a reporter asked the president if he was not ruling it out, he repeated the question back.
‘Am I not ruling it out? You’ll have to tell me,’ the president answered.
Trump did say he wouldn’t try to utilize a possible loophole and run for vice president instead.
‘I think the people wouldn’t like that. It’s too cute. It wouldn’t be right,’ he said.
