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Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, R-La., on Tuesday poured cold water on speculation that President Donald Trump could attempt a third term in 2028, citing the Constitution’s 22nd Amendment and saying he sees “no path” to changing it.
“There is the 22nd Amendment,” Johnson told reporters at the Capitol, adding that while Trump enjoys teasing Democrats with “Trump 2028” hats and slogans, the Constitution is clear.
“I don’t see a way to amend the Constitution because it takes about ten years,” Johnson said. “You’d need two-thirds of Congress and three-fourths of the states to ratify [it]. I don’t see the path for that.”
Johnson said he had spoken with Trump about an hour before the news conference, calling the president’s “2028” talk “trolling” aimed at opponents. “It’s one of the most popular hats ever produced, and it drives the Democrats crazy,” he said.
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Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., poured cold water on speculation that President Trump would seek a third term during a news conference on Tuesday. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
The speaker’s comments follow Trump’s own remarks earlier this week appearing to rule out a constitutional workaround.
Asked Monday aboard Air Force One en route to Tokyo whether he might attempt a return as vice president in 2028, Trump laughed.
“I wouldn’t do that. I think it’s too cute,” Trump said. “Yeah, I would rule that out because it’s too cute.”
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Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., meets the press after Tuesday’s news conference. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
His dismissal echoed Johnson’s view that the 22nd Amendment remains an immovable barrier.
Ratified in 1951 after Franklin D. Roosevelt’s four terms in office, the 22nd Amendment limits presidents to two elected terms. Amending it would require two-thirds approval in both chambers of Congress and ratification by three-quarters of the states. The ratification process, Johnson noted, typically takes a decade or longer.
Following his news conference, Johnson was pressed in the Capitol hallways by Fox News senior congressional correspondent Chad Pergram about the ongoing government shutdown, now approaching one month.
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A “Trump 2028” hat sits on the Oval Office table as Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., center, meets with congressional leadership, including Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., right, in the Oval Office of the White House, Sept. 30. (@realDonaldTrump via Truth Social)
“The president tried his best to negotiate with the Democrat leaders. They effectively gave him the middle finger in the Oval Office,” Johnson said. “This is a congressional problem.”
He argued that there was “nothing more for [Trump] to do,” noting that Republicans had already offered a “clean” continuing resolution. “Talking with [Democrats] and trying to negotiate is a waste of time,” Johnson said.
The speaker accused Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., of clinging to a “long laundry list of crazy partisan spending priorities,” and said reopening the government would require “a few commonsense, centrist, moderate Democrats who care about the American people more than their political games.”
Johnson said he remains focused on the next three years of the Trump administration rather than hypothetical questions about 2028.
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It remains to be seen whether any Trump allies formally propose a constitutional amendment, though Johnson insisted he sees no chance of success.
Fox News Digital has reached out to Johnson’s office for additional comment.
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