Donald Trump delivered his most successful first nine months in office in American political history.
His poll numbers hit all-time highs as the economy surges and America's enemies back down.
But Donald Trump made one admission that proved his critics dead wrong.
Trump acknowledges Constitution bars third term run
President Trump made the declaration from Air Force One Wednesday while traveling to South Korea that he's bound by the same constitutional limits every other president faces.
"I would say if you read it, it's pretty clear. I'm not allowed to run. It's too bad," Trump told reporters. "But, we have a lot of great people."¹
The admission came after House Speaker Mike Johnson firmly told reporters Tuesday that he'd discussed the 22nd Amendment's restrictions with Trump directly.
"It's been a great run. But I think the president knows, and he and I have talked about, the constrictions of the Constitution, as much as so many of the American people lament that," Johnson explained.²
Trump's acknowledgment marks a shift from comments just days earlier when he told reporters aboard Air Force One that he "would love to" run for a third term.³
The 22nd Amendment to the Constitution states clearly: "No person shall be elected to the office of the President more than twice."⁴
That amendment was ratified in 1951 after Franklin Delano Roosevelt won an unprecedented four terms, dying in office during his fourth term in 1945.⁵
Republicans pushed the amendment through Congress in 1947 specifically to prevent any future president from holding power indefinitely the way FDR did.⁶
Constitutional loopholes explored by Trump allies
Trump's allies floated various schemes to get around the 22nd Amendment's restrictions over the past year.
Tennessee Republican Congressman Andy Ogles introduced a constitutional amendment in January 2025 specifically tailored to allow Trump a third term.
The proposal would permit presidents to serve three terms total – but only if their first two terms weren't consecutive.⁷
That clever wording would exclude former Presidents Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, and Barack Obama from returning to office since they all served consecutive terms.
But Trump's unique position as the first president since Grover Cleveland in 1892 to win non-consecutive terms would make him eligible under Ogles' plan.⁸
Constitutional law experts dismissed Ogles' proposal as "impossibly difficult" to pass.
Any amendment requires two-thirds approval in both the House and Senate, then ratification by 38 of 50 states.⁹
Harvard law professor Stephen Sachs explained the political reality: "There are only 218 Republican representatives, 53 Republican senators and 28 Republican-controlled state legislatures" – nowhere near the supermajorities needed.¹⁰
Some legal scholars pointed to potential loopholes involving Trump running as Vice President, then ascending to the presidency if the elected president resigned.
Trump himself rejected that scheme as "too cute" during recent comments.¹¹
Former White House strategist Steve Bannon told The Economist last week there was a "plan" to keep Trump in office for a third term, reigniting speculation before Trump's Wednesday comments.¹²
Trump riding historic approval ratings into lame duck status
The timing of Trump's acknowledgment stings for his supporters who've watched him deliver on campaign promises at a record pace.
Trump pointed to his approval numbers reaching all-time highs during the Air Force One gaggle.
"The sad thing is I have my highest numbers that I've ever had," Trump said. "As I said, I ended eight wars, and we have the greatest economy in history."¹³
Trump's point about ending wars references his administration's success in brokering peace deals across multiple conflict zones that festered under Biden.
The President's claim about the economy being the "greatest in history" tracks with recent data showing the stock market hitting record highs and unemployment at historic lows.
Trump specifically mentioned energy prices dropping significantly – "way down" in his words – though he noted beef prices remained "a little bit high."¹⁴
The irony hasn't escaped Trump's inner circle that he's forced into lame duck status precisely when his political capital stands at its peak.
Every previous two-term president faced declining approval ratings in their final years.
Reagan left office with approval in the low 60s after hitting the mid-60s earlier in his presidency.
Clinton's approvals actually rose in his final year but he'd already been impeached.
George W. Bush limped out of office with approval in the low 30s after the financial crisis.
Obama maintained decent numbers in his final year but nothing approaching Trump's current trajectory.
Trump's situation is unprecedented: a president hitting career-high approval ratings while constitutionally barred from capitalizing on that political momentum with another run.
Speaker Johnson captured the melancholy when he said "so many of the American people lament" the constitutional restrictions keeping Trump from a third term.¹⁵
Trump responded to Johnson's characterization by noting he wouldn't address it further because discussing his record-high approval ratings only makes the constitutional limitation more frustrating.
The President wrapped his comments by acknowledging the Constitution's clarity while hinting at disappointment: "It's pretty clear I'm not allowed to run. It's too bad. But we have a lot of great people."¹⁶
That final comment about "great people" signals Trump's focus shifting toward elevating the next generation of America First leadership – likely referring to Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and other rising stars in the movement.
Democrats and Never-Trump Republicans who spent years claiming Trump would refuse to leave office or attempt to circumvent constitutional limits now have their answer directly from the President.
He'll respect the 22nd Amendment – just like he respected the peaceful transfer of power, just like he's respected every constitutional boundary they said he'd trample.
The critics who built entire careers warning America that Trump was a would-be dictator who'd never voluntarily relinquish power just got exposed as fear-mongering frauds.
The question becomes whether Trump's eventual successor can maintain the momentum he's built with voters across all demographics – the historic approval ratings Trump referenced show he's assembled a coalition that transcends traditional Republican voting patterns.
Whoever inherits the America First mantle in 2028 faces the challenge of keeping that coalition together without Trump at the top of the ticket.
¹ CNN, "Trump third term: President says it's 'pretty clear' he's not allowed to run," October 29, 2025.
² CNN, "Johnson says he's spoken with Trump about 'the constrictions of the Constitution' on a third term," October 28, 2025.
³ Bloomberg, "Can Trump Serve a Third Term as President? What the 22nd Amendment Says," October 27, 2025.
⁴ Constitution Annotated, "U.S. Constitution – Twenty-Second Amendment," Congress.gov.
⁵ NPR, "Trump can only serve 4 more years. The reason why has a long and sordid history," September 6, 2022.
⁶ Ibid.
⁷ CNBC, "Constitutional amendment to allow Trump third term introduced in the House," January 24, 2025.
⁸ Ibid.
⁹ Ibid.
¹⁰ CNBC, "Trump third-term amendment 'impossibly difficult' to pass, Harvard Law professor says," January 24, 2025.
¹¹ CNN, "Trump third term: President says it's 'pretty clear' he's not allowed to run," October 29, 2025.
¹² Axios, "Trump third term: President says 'there's no path' for a 2028 run," October 28, 2025.
¹³ CNN, "Trump third term: President says it's 'pretty clear' he's not allowed to run," October 29, 2025.
¹⁴ Ibid.
¹⁵ CNN, "Johnson says he's spoken with Trump about 'the constrictions of the Constitution' on a third term," October 28, 2025.
¹⁶ CNN, "Trump third term: President says it's 'pretty clear' he's not allowed to run," October 29, 2025.
