President Donald Trump has shut down speculation about serving a third term and named Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio as the best contenders to replace him in 2028.
“There are many people selling the ‘2028’ hat, but this is not something I’m looking to do,” Trump responded, referring to people selling “Trump 2028” merchandise. “I’m looking to have four great years, and turn it over to somebody, ideally a great Republican, a great Republican to carry it forward.”
He acknowledged that there are constitutional restraints to serving a third term. The 22nd Amendment in the Constitution says that a president cannot be elected to office more than twice.
“It’s something that, to the best of my knowledge, you’re not allowed to do. I don’t know if that’s constitutional that they’re not allowing you to do it or anything else,” Trump said, adding that four years is plenty of time to carry out his agenda.
But Ogles’s efforts haven’t received a lot of traction in Congress and Trump on Sunday confirmed he will not pursue it.
When pressed about his replacement, Trump praised Vance and Rubio as strong GOP successors. The two high-profile Republicans are capable of carrying Trump’s “Make America Great Again” agenda forward when he’s done serving his last term, according to the president.
“I don’t want to get involved in that, I think [Vance] is a fantastic, brilliant guy,” Trump said. “Marco is great, there’s a lot of them that are great.”
Trump suggested Vance would succeed over other competitors in a Republican primary due to name recognition from his current role.
“But certainly you would say that somebody’s the VP, if that person is outstanding, I guess that person would have an advantage,” Trump said.
When asked if Vance would be “at the top of the list” to replace him, Trump said “it could very well be” but also acknowledged there are many people within the Republican Party who are capable of serving.
This includes Rubio, who has taken on two high-profile roles in the Trump administration. As Secretary of State, Rubio serves Trump as the country’s top diplomat. Trump also recently chose Rubio to serve as interim national security adviser following Mike Waltz’s nomination as the United States’ ambassador to the United Nations.
“Marco Rubio, unbelievable,” Trump posted on Truth Social. “When I have a problem, I call up Marco, he gets it solved.”
Trump and Rubio have become close allies, marking a significant contrast from 2016 when they were running against each other for the presidency.
As for the Democrats, Trump said they are in “total disarray” right now and that there’s no clear leader in the party.
While discussing Democrats’ potential future leadership, Trump said that Sen. Bernie Sanders (D-Vt.) is still “sharp” despite his age. Sanders is currently 83 years old.
Trump also dismissed Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-Tex.) as a viable choice for 2028, saying Democrats have described her as the “future of the party.”
“I don’t know what [Democrats] are going to do,” Trump said. “And I really believe in a two-party system because it’s good to be challenged,” the president said.
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), who has made joint appearances with Sanders as part of their “Fighting Oligarchy” tour, is also seen as a strong candidate for the Democrats for 2028. There’s also speculation that California Gov. Gavin Newsom may be seeking a presidential bid since he is term-limited out of office after the 2026 elections.
