Who's Running 2028
Updated July 14, 2026

Can Trump run for president in 2028?

No. Donald Trump cannot be elected president in 2028. The 22nd Amendment says no person may be elected to the office of president more than twice. Trump was elected in 2016 and again in 2024, so he has reached the two-term limit and is constitutionally ineligible to be elected to a third term.

The rule, in plain English

The 22nd Amendment (ratified 1951) limits a person to being elected president twice. The two terms do not have to be back-to-back - it is the total number of elections won that counts. Having won in 2016 and 2024, Trump has hit that limit.

"No person shall be elected to the office of the President more than twice..."- U.S. Constitution, 22nd Amendment, Section 1

The only way around it would be to repeal the amendment, which needs a two-thirds vote in both chambers of Congress and ratification by 38 states. That is not realistic on this timeline.

Who the rule does and does not affect

  • JD Vance (Vice President) - eligible. Never elected president.
  • Marco Rubio - eligible. Never elected president.
  • Kamala Harris - eligible. She was vice president, not president.
  • Gavin Newsom, Pete Buttigieg and every other contender - all eligible.
  • Donald Trump - the one prominent name who is not eligible to be elected in 2028.

The contrarian view: Alan Dershowitz

The most prominent dissent from the consensus comes from constitutional lawyer Alan Dershowitz, who has argued in his public legal writing that the question is not fully settled. His point is textual: the 22nd Amendment bars being elected a third time, not serving again, which he says leaves a few narrow, hypothetical scenarios open.

Dershowitz stresses that those scenarios are extraordinarily unlikely, says he does not believe Trump is actively seeking a third term, and notes the same reasoning would apply to Obama, Bush, or Clinton. It remains a minority view that no court has adopted - which is why the plain-language answer above still stands for 2028.

He can't be elected - but is he trying anyway?

Trump has teased a third term dozens of times - in Truth Social posts, at rallies, and in interviews. We gathered every one, with the screenshots and the video, into a dated timeline.

Read: Will Trump run in 2028? Everything he has actually said, by date

Trump & a third term — the full series

The whole question, one angle at a time

Each piece below covers a different part of whether Trump can — and will — run in 2028. Read them together.

Quick answers

Trump and 2028: frequently asked questions

Can Donald Trump run for president in 2028?
No. The 22nd Amendment bars anyone elected president twice from being elected again. Trump was elected in 2016 and 2024, so he is ineligible to be elected to a third term in 2028.
Does Trump have to serve two terms in a row to be term-limited?
No. The limit counts the total number of times a person is elected president, not whether the terms are consecutive. Trump's two election wins (2016 and 2024) reach the limit.
Could the 22nd Amendment be repealed so Trump can run?
In theory only. Repealing it would require a two-thirds vote in both houses of Congress plus ratification by three-fourths (38) of the states. That is not a realistic path before 2028.
What about Alan Dershowitz's argument that Trump could serve a third term?
Constitutional lawyer Alan Dershowitz has argued in his public legal writing that the 22nd Amendment bars being 'elected' a third time but not 'serving' again, leaving a few narrow, hypothetical scenarios open. He stresses they are extraordinarily unlikely and says he does not believe Trump is seeking a third term. It is a minority view that no court has adopted, and the same logic would apply to Obama, Bush, or Clinton.
Could Trump become president in 2028 through the line of succession instead of being elected?
It is a theory some raise, but it hits the same wall. The idea is that Trump could become Speaker of the House or vice president and then reach the presidency by succession rather than election. Most legal scholars say the 12th Amendment - no one ineligible to be president may be vice president - blocks the VP route, and the Speaker route rests on the same disputed question of whether a two-term president is 'ineligible' or merely cannot be 'elected.' It has never been tested in court.
When is the 2028 election, and who would take office?
The 2028 presidential election is on November 7, 2028, and the winner is inaugurated on January 20, 2029, serving until 2033. Trump's current term ends in January 2029.
Can Trump be vice president in 2028 instead?
Almost certainly not. The 12th Amendment bars anyone constitutionally ineligible for the presidency from serving as VP. The 22nd Amendment makes Trump ineligible for the presidency, so the 12th Amendment extends that bar to the vice presidency under the mainstream reading. A minority scholarly argument exists but no court has ruled on it. See the full analysis at /can-trump-run-for-vp-2028.
Who can run for the Republicans in 2028 instead of Trump?
The most discussed Republicans are Vice President JD Vance (the early prediction-market favorite) and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, with names like Ron DeSantis, Ted Cruz, and Brian Kemp also mentioned. None has formally declared.
Stay ahead of the race

Get an alert when the 2028 field changes

No major candidate has declared yet. Drop your email and we'll tell you the moment one does - or the front-runner shifts. No spam.

See who IS running in 2028

↑ Top
Get The 2028 Daily
One short email each morning - the noteworthy moves in the 2028 race from the last 24 hours. Free, unsubscribe anytime.