Donald Trump Rules Out Running For VP In 2028 And His Comments Say It All About His Oversized Ego

According to the 22nd Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, Donald Trump cannot run for a third term as POTUS; it's assumed that he will finish out his second term and then hand over the reins to someone else in 2028. With that being said, he could actually serve as vice president, but that would mean he'd have to be second banana after years of being the top dog. For a man with an ego the size of the Grand Canyon, that wouldn't cut it.

While on Air Force One on October 27, Trump spoke with the press and said he'd "love" to run as president for a third term. "I have the best poll numbers I've ever had. ... I'd love to do it," he told reporters (via ABC News). But when asked if he'd ever consider being on the ballot as VP, Trump shut that down fast. He admitted he'd be able to run for vice president, but he wasn't interested. "It's too cute," he said. "Yeah, I would rule that out because it's too cute. I think the people wouldn't like that." 

Trump may feel like being the vice president would be a downgrade from his current position. Sure, Vice President JD Vance does political work (when he's not on vacation, that is), but the praise and admiration for the VP will never be as grand as that of the president. The veep is second-in-command and answers to the president.

President Donald Trump mentioning that the American people wouldn't want to see him run as vice president is interesting. Since he didn't elaborate during that interview, this is only speculation, but Trump, in his mind, may believe that his constituents only want him at the wheel, guiding the country. The VP position may seem like settling for second best.

Plus, Trump may not even be fit to run for vice president in 2028. He had a physical in October — his second this year — and had an MRI done. During that same interview on Air Force One, he bragged about how "perfect" his MRI test was. However, he didn't say what he got the MRI for. The fact that he had one done at all raised health concerns, with people on X wondering if doctors were checking to see if he had dementia. An MRI is not part of a routine physical, so his physicians may have felt like something could be off and wanted to take a more in-depth look.

While Trump has ruled out a 2028 VP run, Steve Bannon, who served as the White House's chief strategist for part of Trump's first presidential term, recently informed The Economist that Trump's campaign has plans for another presidential run, despite the two-term limit mandated by the Constitution. "Trump is going to be president in '28, and people just ought to get accommodated with that," he said on October 23. He added: "At the appropriate time, we'll lay out what the plan is. But there is a plan."