In a claim that has reignited fears about the durability of American democracy, former White House strategist Steve Bannon has asserted that Donald Trump “has a plan” to return as president in 2028, despite the US Constitution’s 22nd Amendment explicitly prohibiting a third term. Speaking in a video interview with The Economist, Bannon declared that Trump would “find a way to defy the Constitution”, insisting, “people ought to get used to it.”
Trump’s secret plan for the third presidential term
The statement has stirred intense debate across Washington, where the boundaries of presidential power are already under scrutiny. With Trump currently serving his second term after 2024 victory, the suggestion of a third run raises profound constitutional and institutional questions.The 22nd Amendment, ratified in 1951, limits any US president to two elected terms, a safeguard introduced after Franklin D. Roosevelt’s unprecedented four elections. Bannon’s remarks thus touch a legal red line that no president has crossed since.The idea of Trump seeking to extend his presidency also comes amid a wider erosion of political norms globally, as populist leaders from Hungary to El Salvador test constitutional limits to remain in power. For many observers, Bannon’s remarks symbolise the ongoing struggle between institutional restraint and personal authority in modern democracies.Bannon’s comments came during an interview with The Economist released this week, where he claimed there were “many different alternatives” to keep Trump in power beyond 2028. “At the appropriate time we’ll lay out what the plan is,” Bannon said, adding, “we had longer odds in 2016 and 2024 than we’ve got in 2028.”The comments follow Trump’s own repeated hints about serving a third term. On his Truth Social platform, the president recently shared a mock video of campaign signs reading “Trump 2028”, “Trump 2032”, and “Trump 2036”, set to dramatic classical music. Earlier this month, he reportedly displayed “Trump 2028” caps on the Resolute Desk during a meeting with Democratic leaders Chuck Schumer and Hakeem Jeffries.The remarks have triggered widespread criticism, with civil society groups and legal scholars warning that such rhetoric normalises the idea of dismantling term limits. Over the weekend, organisers of the “No Kings” movement said nearly 7 million Americans protested in cities nationwide against what they described as Trump’s “authoritarian drift.”
Why it matters
The implications of Bannon’s statement are threefold: constitutional, political, and international.Constitutionally, any attempt to circumvent the 22nd Amendment would strike at the core of US democratic safeguards. Legal experts note that altering presidential term limits would require a two-thirds majority in both houses of Congress and ratification by three-fourths of US states, an almost impossible feat in today’s polarised environment.Politically, the idea plays to Trump’s populist base, reinforcing his narrative of being a transformative leader obstructed by an entrenched “deep state”. The 2028 speculation helps maintain his dominance over the Republican Party, deterring rivals and energising supporters.Internationally, the notion of an extended Trump presidency unsettles allies and adversaries alike. European leaders worry about continuity in US commitments to NATO and climate cooperation, while China and Russia may see prolonged Trumpism as an opportunity to exploit divisions within the Western bloc.
Key players and stakes
At the centre of this debate stand Donald Trump and Steve Bannon, two figures whose political partnership has defined the populist right since 2016. Trump’s team has not officially commented on Bannon’s remarks, though campaign insiders privately say they view such speculation as a “strategic provocation”.For Democrats, the comments serve as a rallying cry to defend institutional norms ahead of the 2026 midterms. Figures like Vice President Kamala Harris and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer have condemned the remarks as “dangerous authoritarian talk”.Meanwhile, conservative think-tanks aligned with Bannon, including elements of the “America First” movement, have argued that constitutional amendments “should not obstruct the will of the people”, framing the debate as a test of popular sovereignty versus procedural rigidity.
Historical context
The United States has confronted questions of presidential power before. After Franklin D. Roosevelt’s four-term presidency, Congress passed the 22nd Amendment in 1947, later ratified in 1951, to prevent any future concentration of executive authority. Since then, presidents from Dwight Eisenhower to Ronald Reagan and Barack Obama have all accepted the two-term limit as untouchable.Bannon’s remarks echo a long tradition of political figures testing the boundaries of that rule, but none have gone so far as to suggest a practical roadmap for overturning it. The rhetoric is reminiscent of Trump’s earlier provocations in 2020, when he joked about serving “10 or 14 years” during campaign rallies, only to later dismiss such statements as humour.
What’s next
While Bannon offered no specifics, his remarks have intensified calls for Congress to reaffirm constitutional safeguards and ensure peaceful transitions of power. Analysts expect Trump’s allies to continue using “third-term” rhetoric as a political weapon, less as a legal proposal and more as a symbolic assertion of dominance.For now, the idea of a Trump 2028 presidency remains constitutionally impossible but politically potent. As the US approaches another turbulent election cycle, the broader question is no longer just who holds power, but how far they are willing to stretch the rules to keep it. Go to Source
