**Trump Rules Out Running as VP to Circumvent Two-Term Limit, Teases 2028 Presidential Run**
TOKYO — President Donald Trump said Monday that he will not run as Vice President on JD Vance’s ticket in an attempt to circumvent the Constitution’s two-term limit on the presidency. However, he expressed continued interest in running again, even musing about a potential 2028 face-off against New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.
Trump, 79, made the remarks in response to a reporter’s question about former chief strategist Steve Bannon’s claim of a secret plan to negate the 22nd Amendment’s term limit.
“I would love to do it. I have my best numbers ever, it’s very terrible, I have my best numbers,” Trump said aboard Air Force One en route to Tokyo for meetings with Emperor Naruhito and Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi.
According to the RealClearPolitics average of recent polls, Trump’s approval rating stands at 45.1%. He has repeatedly hinted at a possible final candidacy, which many interpret as a tactic to avoid an early lame-duck status and to provoke Democrats. Trump has even handed out “Trump 2028” campaign hats to White House guests.
Steve Bannon claimed in an interview with *The Economist* that “he’s going to get a third term. At the appropriate time, we’ll lay out what the plan is. But there’s a plan.”
Despite this, Trump definitively ruled out the widely discussed option of running as Vance’s running mate and then having Vance resign. This strategy was suggested as a way to bypass the 22nd Amendment’s rule that a person can only be “elected” president twice.
“I think the people wouldn’t like that. It’s too cute. It wouldn’t be right,” Trump told reporters on Air Force One.
Trump also mentioned that he could see a Republican ticket formed by JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, calling the pair “unstoppable.” However, he left the door open for his own candidacy.
“All I can tell you is that we have a great group of people, which they don’t,” Trump said. “They have [Texas Rep.] Jasmine Crockett, a low IQ person. They have AOC who is low IQ. You give her an IQ test, have her pass the exams that I decided to take when I was at Walter Reed — I took very hard ones.”
“Let AOC go against Trump. Let Jasmine go against Trump,” he added.
Trump previously told CNBC in August that he would “probably not” seek a third term but told NBC in March that he was “not joking” about running again.
During the Air Force One gaggle, Trump also revealed that he had an MRI scan during his annual physical this month. He declined to share the reason but said, “it was perfect.”
Trump will be 82 at the end of his current term and would be 86 at the end of a hypothetical third term in 2033.
https://nypost.com/2025/10/27/us-news/trump-rules-out-running-as-vances-vp-to-gain-third-term-but-open-to-bannon-plan-let-aoc-go-against-trump/