Trump's third-term talk freezes the potential 2028 Republican field

Teasing a third term freezes the 2028 GOP field until aspiring candidates have an understanding of whether Trump intends to push the limits of the Constitution.

WASHINGTON — The merch is out and available for a price on the Trump Organization website: $50 for a “Trump 2028” hat; $36 for a shirt that reads “Trump 2028 (Re-write the Rules).”

The rules aren’t so easily undone. Donald Trump can’t be elected again in 2028 under the constitutional amendment limiting presidents to two terms. Any number of Trump’s Republican allies will tell you that a third term is inconceivable given the enormous hurdles required to pass a new amendment.

“He’s not going to run for another term,” former Republican House Speaker Newt Gingrich told NBC News. But, he added, Trump has reason to talk about it: “Don’t underestimate the degree to which he believes any Trump-centered noise is good, because it starves his opponents.”

Yet Trump continues to flirt with the prospect of serving until 2033, when he would be 86 years old. Whether he’ll follow through or not, his assertion that a third term is no joke is something that would-be contenders ignore at their own peril.

Teasing a third term freezes the 2028 GOP presidential field until aspiring candidates have a clearer understanding of whether and how far Trump intends to push the limits of the Constitution.