Donald Trump has given a major update about his future political ambitions as he flew to Asia on Air Force One. The US President is visiting Malaysia, Japan, and South Korea this week as he aims to strengthen America’s economy with a host of new trade deals.
Trump is planning to meet his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, at the APEC summit in Gyeongju, South Korea, with investors closely watching to see if the two superpowers will sign a new economic pact. Prior to his departure for his Asian tour, rumours have been swirling around Washington about the US President’s future political plans. His close ally Steve Bannon told the Economist that “there are plans” afoot to allow Trump to run for a third term as President.
Currently, the 22nd Amendment to the US Constitution limits the number of terms a President can serve to two four-year periods.
Some of his supporters have suggested that the Republican leader could run for Vice President in 2028, while another candidate runs for President.
Then, once elected, the President would step aside, allowing Trump to return to the White House for a third term.
However, Trump dismissed this strategy when quizzed about it on his Presidential plane.
“It’s too cute,” he told reporters aboard Air Force One on Monday, saying he was ruling out the possibility. Though he rejected the Vice Presidential option, Trump has so far refused to rule out running for President for a third time.
The US President recently took to his Truth Social website to taunt his political opponents about his future White House plans.
In a video clip posted to the site last Sunday, a mock Time magazine cover is shown with the headline, “How Trumpism Outlasts Trump,” which is then zoomed in on to reveal a series of yard signs carrying the future campaign slogans “Trump 2028,” “Trump 2032,” “Trump 2036” and so on, all set to Edvard Grieg’s ominous “In the Hall of the Mountain King.”
The signs roll on to a final one, brandished by the president himself, reading “Trump 2048” that proceeds to tick upwards through the election years, reaching the year 90,000 before revealing the message: “Trump 4EVA.”
The only other US politician to serve more than two terms as President was Franklin D. Roosevelt.
The Democrat was elected for a third time in 1940 and then for fourth in 1944, but died before he completed his term. Amid concerns about unlimited Presidential terms, the 22nd amendment was passed in February 1951.
