‘I don’t see a way to amend the Constitution,’ Speaker Mike Johnson says, shutting down Trump third-term speculation

US House Speaker Mike Johnson on Tuesday (October 28) said he had discussed with President Donald Trump the constitutional limits that bar a third term in the White House, dismissing any realistic possibility of changing the rule.

“It’s been a great run. But I think the president knows, and he and I have talked about, the constrictions of the Constitution,” Johnson told reporters on Capitol Hill. He added that his most recent conversation with Trump took place an hour earlier during the president’s Asia trip.

No path to change the 22nd Amendment

Johnson said efforts to alter the 22nd Amendment, which restricts presidents to two terms, would be nearly impossible within the political and procedural realities.

“I don’t see a way to amend the Constitution because it takes about 10 years to do that … what two-thirds of the House and three-fourths of the states would approve,” he said. “I don’t see the path for that.”

Trump keeps speculation alive

Trump's allies, including Steve Bannon, have cited plans to test the two-term limit laid out in the US Constitution's 22nd Amendment.

The remarks came after Trump, 79, declined on Monday to rule out running again in 2028, fueling speculation he might attempt to extend his tenure.

Trump has also leaned into the messaging, selling “Trump 2028” hats and joking about a potential third term at rallies. Johnson suggested the president was stirring political reaction: “He has a good time with that, trolling the Democrats whose hair is on fire about the very prospect” of another Trump term.

Trump on Monday also pointed to Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio as “great people” who could seek the presidency in 2028.

Trump’s current term ends in January 2029. If he attempted to run again and won, he would be 82 years old in 2028, making him the oldest president in US history.