Not so fast…
President Donald Trump shot down speculation that he would run as a vice presidential candidate in 2028, telling reporters aboard Air Force One that Republicans already have “great” prospective candidates.
Trump made the statement during a gaggle with reporters on Sunday, brushing off questions about whether he would fully pursue such an option.
The president answered a slew of questions aboard Air Force One on his way to Tokyo, where he will meet with new Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi on the second leg of his Asia tour.
Trump also confirmed on Sunday that he would be open to meeting with North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un during his visit to South Korea.
As part of an answer to a question about a potential third presidential term, Trump told reporters that the administration had “some very good people.”
When asked to clarify the people he was referring to, the president named Vance and Rubio, who stood directly behind Trump, as he speculated about a 2028 ticket with both their names.
“Well, we have great people. Well, I don’t have to get into that, but we have one of them standing right here. We have JD [Vance] obviously. The vice president is great,” said Trump. “Marco [Rubio] is great. I’m not sure if anybody would run against us. I think if they have a form to group it would be unstoppable, I do. I really believe that.”
“They have Jasmine Crockett, a low IQ person. They have AOC’s low IQ. If you give her an IQ test, have her pass, like, the exams that I decided to take when I was at Walter Reed. I took those very hard, they’re really aptitude tests, I guess, in a certain way, but they’re cognitive tests. Let AOC go against Trump. Let Jasmine go against him,” he continued.
Asked about whether he would run as vice president in 2028, Trump noted that he would be “allowed to do that,” but he called the plan “too cute.”
“Is it the White House, or the White House counsel’s, or your legal position, I guess, that you could do that?” a reporter pressed.
“You’d be allowed to do that, but I wouldn’t do that. I think it’s too cute,” Trump responded.
Watch:
In a move equal parts showmanship and provocation, Donald Trump has quipped that he might be “considering” a third term — a wink-and-nod jab aimed squarely at his opponents suffering from what he often dubs “Trump Derangement Syndrome.” He used the occasion of a White House meeting with Congressional Minority Leaders to hand out “Trump 2028” hats, an unmistakable tease of Democrats who have spent years assailing his every move. What was framed as a light-hearted joke nonetheless sended a two-fold message: one, that Trump’s critics are so consumed by him they’ll obsess over even the most outlandish scenario; and two, that he remains in the driver’s seat of the narrative
