President Donald Trump flaunted new White House gift shop merchandise on Friday, including caps hinting at a possible third term in the Oval Office.
In a social media video, Trump is seen proudly displaying the new items to Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, featuring caps emblazoned with “Trump 2028” and “4 more years.”
During the footage, Trump is heard boasting, “Everyone wants me to run again,” to which Aliyev replies, “including us.”
While Trump has not explicitly committed to a third presidential bid, he has hinted that “a lot of people” are urging him to consider it, despite constitutional limits set by the 22nd Amendment.
Since returning to the political arena, Trump has toyed with the notion of a third term, citing public support but expressing doubt about the possibility, reports The Mirror US.
“There are methods which you could do it,” Trump mused during a phone interview with NBC News from his Mar-a-Lago estate in March.
Later, aboard Air Force One en route from Florida to Washington, he told journalists: “I have had more people ask me to have a third term, which in a way is a fourth term because the other election, the 2020 election, was totally rigged.”
Trump was defeated in that election by Democrat Joe Biden.
Nevertheless, Trump remarked at the time: “I don’t want to talk about a third term now because no matter how you look at it, we’ve got a long time to go.”
Any bid by Trump to cling to the presidency would be fraught with legal challenges, and it’s uncertain how earnestly he might chase such a notion. Yet, his remarks are a striking testament to his eagerness to hold onto power, echoing his previous breach of democratic norms four years earlier when he sought to overturn his electoral defeat to Biden.
During a fiery exchange on CNBC this week, Trump broached the subject of a third term, indicating he would “probably not” pursue it.
However in a stark change of pace, he recently admitted on CNBC’s Squawk Box, “I’d like to run,” boasting about his popularity. “I have the best poll numbers I’ve ever had.”
The 22nd Amendment, enshrined in the Constitution since 1951 following Franklin D. Roosevelt’s four consecutive presidential victories, clearly states that “no person shall be elected to the office of the President more than twice.”
The White House has yet to comment on why “Trump 2028” hats are being sold at the official gift shop.
