Donald Trump’s repeated musings about running for a third term are hitting a wall of fierce bipartisan opposition. The latest poll shows that Americans are not just against the idea—they are downright rejecting it.
In January, Trump stirred controversy at a Nevada rally, saying, “It will be the greatest honor of my life to serve, not once but twice or three times or four times.” He quickly added, “no, it will be to serve twice,” after realizing the reaction he had sparked. But his comments weren’t a joke. Trump has continued to dangle the possibility of a 2028 bid, openly saying he’s “not joking” about running again.
“I’m not joking,” Trump told NBC News in an interview last month. “A lot of people want me to do it… But, I mean, I basically tell them we have a long way to go, you know, it’s very early in the administration.”
Despite his stance, there’s one big problem: the 22nd Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. That amendment, ratified in 1951, bars anyone from serving more than two terms as president. This change followed Franklin D. Roosevelt’s four-term presidency and has been in place ever since. But Trump’s talk of a third term ignores this clear legal restriction—and the fact that the American public is not buying it.
In a brutal new Reuters/Ipsos national survey, conducted from April 16-21, a stunning 75% of Americans say Trump should not run for a third term. What’s worse for him, even Republicans are against the idea. A majority—53%—of GOP voters agree that Trump should not seek a third term.
The poll surveyed 4,306 U.S. adults and had a margin of error of plus or minus two percentage points. The results couldn’t be clearer: Trump’s flirtation with a third term is alienating a large portion of the country, even those who have supported him in the past.
While Trump remains a powerful figure in the GOP, his flirtations with a 2028 run are falling flat with a majority of the American public. The brutal truth? The American people have had enough of the idea, and Trump’s dream of returning to the Oval Office for a third term, as appealing as it may be to him, is likely to remain just a fantasy.
