President Donald Trump firmly shut down growing speculation about a potential third term, telling NBC’s Meet the Press that he has no intention of seeking office beyond 2028, despite flirtations with the idea in recent months.

“This is not something I’m looking to do,” Trump told host Kristen Welker in the Sunday broadcast. “I’m looking to have four great years and turn it over to somebody—ideally a great Republican—to carry it forward.”

Trump’s comments appear to contradict his previous musings about a possible third term. In March, he claimed he wasn’t “joking” when referencing a 2028 run and hinted there were “methods” around the constitutional ban established by the 22nd Amendment. His campaign store even began selling “Trump 2028” hats, fueling speculation among loyal MAGA supporters.

Despite walking back any third-term ambitions, Trump remained cagey about whom he might endorse as his successor. He named Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio as standouts, calling Vance “a fantastic, brilliant guy,” and praising Rubio as “great,” but declined to rank potential picks.

The interview covered a broad array of controversial issues.

When pressed on his administration’s refusal to comply with a Supreme Court ruling involving Kilmar Abrego Garcia—an illegal immigrant deported and imprisoned in El Salvador—Trump repeatedly deflected. Asked whether due process applied to citizens and non-citizens, and whether he was obligated to follow the Constitution, Trump answered, “I don’t know.”

On the trafe war, Trump suggested that tariffs imported goods could become a permanent fixture of his economic agenda, even at the expense of small businesses. “If somebody thought they were going to come off the table, why would they build in the United States?” he asked. He also dismissed calls for exemptions to help struggling small businesses, despite warnings from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce about potential “irreparable harm.”

After weeks of signaling that Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell’s job was at risk, Trump reversed course, saying he would not remove Powell before his term expires in 2026. “Why would I do that?” he said. “I get to replace the person in another short period of time.”

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)