Trump increasingly discusses life after office despite hints of a third term

Donald Trump has spent months hinting at a possible third presidential bid, but his recent comments increasingly imagine a life outside the White House. The shift has prompted questions about whether he is beginning to accept that another campaign in 2028 may not be possible.

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Your next president is going to say, ‘I did such a good job.’ That guy is going to be a rigid idiot doing nothing and watching television, if you don't vote for the Republican nominee.

At an event on Long Island this month, Trump said the next president would claim, “I did such a good job,” while doing little and watching television. He said that would happen if voters failed to support the Republican nominee, portraying a Democratic successor as someone who would take credit for his accomplishments. At a Pennsylvania event last month, he made a similar complaint, saying he would be at home saying, “That bad son of a bitch, we did all the work.”

A week later, Trump said that after his term ended he would be “sitting at home,” and added that he might “be crying.” He also told reporters that a new White House banquet hall under construction was not being built for him because he would have only four, five or six months to use it once construction finished. He said it was intended for future presidents.

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That bad son of a bitch, we did all the work.

The comments have not ended Trump’s third-term suggestions. At a White House Correspondents’ Association dinner, he said, “The third one will be much better. I’m kidding,” after comparing it with his second term, and he ended the speech wearing a hat hinting at a 2028 run. Two months after winning reelection in January 2025, Trump said there were ways to pursue a third term and has frequently posted “Trump 2028” logos on Truth Social.

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I might be sitting at home, maybe crying.

Constitutional law professor Brian Kalt described Trump’s statements as inconsistent and said people tend to hear what they want in them. The 22nd Amendment says no person may be elected president more than twice. The Associated Press also cited former Bill Clinton adviser Paul Begala, who said presidents often begin thinking about their legacy after passing the midpoint of a second term. Trump’s changing language may reflect that concern, even as he continues to play with the idea of another campaign.

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The third one will be much better. I'm kidding.