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By Ewan Palmer and Shane Croucher
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Steve Bannon said he believes President Donald Trump will run again in 2028 for a third term.
The former White House chief strategist during Trump's first term and host of the War Room podcast made the comments to Chris Cuomo on NewsNation.
Newsweek has contacted the White House for comment via email.
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Why It Matters
All U.S. presidents are limited to two terms in office by the Constitution, with Trump now in his second and final term. Calls for Trump to be allowed to run for a third term follow warnings issued by Democrats during the 2024 campaign that Trump would rule as an authoritarian once back in the White House.
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What to Know
Bannon appeared on Cuomo's NewsNation show on Tuesday to discuss his future in the GOP and the current Trump administration.
Cuomo began the interview by showing the results of a straw poll conducted at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in February, showing 12 percent of Republicans want Bannon to be the 2028 Republican presidential nominee.
Bannon finished in second place behind Vice President JD Vance (61 percent) in the survey of CPAC attendees.
Cuomo then asked Bannon if he had "anything to do with putting your name in that list" as he has ambitions to be president.
Bannon denied that he is considering a 2028 run and said he has "already endorsed" Trump in the next election. When asked how Trump will be allowed to seek an unconstitutional third term, Bannon replied, "We'll have a couple of alternatives."
Bannon has frequently suggested the wording of the Constitution means that Trump will be allowed to run for president again, as his two terms in office were not consecutive.
The 22nd Amendment states: "No person shall be elected to the office of the president more than twice."
Bannon's reasoning has been dismissed by constitutional law experts. Anthony Michael Kreis, a constitutional law professor at Georgia State University, previously told Newsweek that whether Trump can run for a third term in the White House is not "remotely debatable."
During his speech at CPAC on February 20, Bannon told the crowd, "The future of MAGA is Donald Trump. We want Trump in '28."
In a December 2024 speech at the New York Young Republican Club's annual gala, Bannon said the Constitution "doesn't actually say consecutive," and therefore, Trump could "do it again in '28."
Trump himself has suggested he may run again in 2028, but often seemingly in jest.
During a Black History Month event at the White House on February 20, Trump asked, "Should I run again? You tell me." The crowd responded with, "Four more years."
Republican Representative Andy Ogles of Tennessee introduced a House joint resolution in January to amend the part of the Constitution that prevents a president from being elected more than twice.
Ogles suggests that the 22nd Amendment be altered to state that no person shall be elected to the office of president more than three times, nor serve any additional term after serving two consecutive terms. The wording of Ogles' amendment proposal would prevent previous consecutive two-term presidents, such as Barack Obama or George W. Bush, from running for a third term.
Trump told Time in April 2024 that he "wouldn't be in favor" of repealing the 22nd Amendment.
What People Are Saying
Steve Bannon, speaking to NewsNation's Chris Cuomo on Tuesday: "I'm a firm believer that President Trump will run and win again in 2028, so I've already endorsed President Trump. A man like this comes along once every century. If we're lucky, we've got him now. He's on fire, and I'm a huge supporter. I want to see him again in 2028.
"We're working on it. I think we'll have a couple of alternatives, let's say that... I've had greater long shots than this."
Anthony Michael Kreis, constitutional law professor at Georgia State University, told Newsweek in December: "Reading is fundamental, and Steve Bannon may want to try it sometime. The 22nd Amendment plainly says, 'No person shall be elected to the office of the president more than twice.' This isn't remotely debatable."
Josh Blackman, a constitutional law professor at the South Texas College of Law Houston, told Newsweek: "It is true that the text does not address whether a third term can be non-consecutive. This amendment was ratified in the 20th century, and I am not aware of anything in drafting or ratifying history suggesting a third, non-consecutive term would be permitted."
Republican Representative Andy Ogles of Tennessee in a January statement: "It is imperative that we provide President Trump with every resource necessary to correct the disastrous course set by the Biden administration. President Trump has shown time and time again that his loyalty lies with the American people and our great nation above all else. He is dedicated to restoring the republic and saving our country, and we, as legislators and as states, must do everything in our power to support him."
President Donald Trump in an April 2024 interview with Time: "I wouldn't be in favor of a challenge [of the 22nd Amendment]. Not for me. I wouldn't be in favor of it at all. I intend to serve four years and do a great job. And I want to bring our country back. I want to put it back on the right track."
What Happens Next
An amendment to the Constitution to allow Trump to run again is unlikely to be approved by Congress. Any constitutional amendment must be passed by a two-thirds majority vote in both the House and Senate and then ratified by at least 38 of the 50 U.S. states.
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