Trump Store Selling ‘Trump 2028’ Hats—Weeks After Trump Says He’s ‘Not Joking’ About Potential Third Term

Topline

The Trump Store, which is the official retail site of the Trump Organization, is selling a “Trump 2028” ballcap—just weeks after President Donald Trump told NBC News he is “not joking” about the possibility of running for a third term, which is not allowed under the Constitution.

Key Facts

The red, “Make America Great Again”-esque hats are selling for $50 on the Trump Sore website, and the product description reads: “Make a statement with this Made in America Trump 2028 hat.”

The hats’ description does not have any direct indication whether they’re meant to support a third term for Donald Trump, or have some other meaning, like the candidacy of one of his family members.

Eric Trump, one of the president’s sons and vice president of the Trump Organization, posted an Instagram story Thursday morning wearing the hat and linking to the website.

Trump, who is serving his second term as president, has not ruled out the possibility of running for a third term, saying “there are methods” that can make it possible, despite the Constitution saying no one can serve more than two terms as president.

The White House referred Forbes to the Trump Organization when asked to comment, and the Trump Organization did not immediately respond.

What Does The 22nd Amendment Say About Presidential Term Limits?

The 22nd Amendment of the Constitution says: “No person shall be elected to the office of the President more than twice, and no person who has held the office of President, or acted as President, for more than two years of a term to which some other person was elected President shall be elected to the office of the President more than once. But this Article shall not apply to any person holding the office of President when this Article was proposed by the Congress, and shall not prevent any person who may be holding the office of President, or acting as President, during the term within which this Article becomes operative from holding the office of President or acting as President during the remainder of such term.”

What Has Trump Said About A Third Term?

On March 30, Trump told NBC News, “I’m not joking. I’m not joking,” though he added: “It is far too early to think about it.” In the same interview, he said, “A lot of people want me to do it … But, I mean, I basically tell them we have a long way to go, you know, it’s very early in the administration.” The following day, Trump said he would “love” to run against former President Barack Obama—who also served two terms and cannot run for a third term—adding: “That would be a good one, I’d like that.” He quickly added he has “never looked into” whether he could run again, and said, “they do say there’s a way you can do it, but I don’t know about that … I want to do a fantastic job, we have four years, just about.” Months earlier, after he won reelection, Trump told House Republicans: “I suspect I won’t be running again unless you say, ‘He’s so good we’ve got to figure something else out.’”

What Have Trump’s Allies Said About Him Running Again?

Steve Bannon, a key adviser from Trump’s first term, has said in an interview on NewsNation he believes Trump will run again in the next election and suggested the Constitution may offer some possible loopholes, particularly around what constitutes a presidential term. When asked in her confirmation hearings whether Trump could run again, Attorney General Pam Bondi said, “No, senator, not unless they change the Constitution”—though more recently she told Fox News she believes Trump will “be finished probably after this term,” and that if he wanted to run again they would “have to look at the Constitution,” which she described as “a heavy lift.” At least one House Republican has expressed support for Trump to run again and introduced a House Joint Resolution to amend the Constitution so he could run for a third term.

Further Reading

Trump’s Attorney General Says He ‘Probably’ Can’t Serve Third Term—What To Know (Forbes)

Trump Says He Would ‘Love’ Running Against Obama For A Third Term (Forbes)