US president says he would love to run again and rules out vice-president ticket

Donald Trump suggested JD Vance, his vice-president (left), and Marco Rubio, the secretary of state (right), could run for president Credit: Kevin Dietsch/2025 Getty Images

Daniel Bates

October 2025

Donald Trump suggested JD Vance and Marco Rubio could run for president in 2028 but did not rule himself out of the race.

Teasing the possibility of an unprecedented third term, Mr Trump said he would “love to” run again.

In a podcast for the Economist published on Thursday, Steve Bannon, the president’s former adviser, said “there is a plan” in 2028 for Mr Trump to contest the election.

Speaking to reporters on Air Force One en route to Japan during his tour of Asia, Mr Trump said: “I would love to do it. I have my best numbers ever.”

Pressed by journalists on the plane, Mr Trump said: “Am I not ruling it out? I mean you’ll have to tell me.

“All I can tell you is that we have a great group of people, which they (the Democrats) don’t.”

Asked to name names, Mr Trump gestured to Mr Vance and Mr Rubio and said that “one of them is standing right here”.

He said: “Obviously JD is great. The vice-president is great. I’m not sure anyone would run against those two.”

Mr Trump is barred by the US Constitution from running for a third term, but his supporters have urged him to run again and he has even sold “Trump 2028” hats.

Mr Trump ruled out the possibility that he would run on a ticket as vice-president with the aim of his running mate standing down so he could eventually become president once more, saying it would be “too cute” and “wouldn’t be right”.

“I’d be allowed to do that, but I wouldn’t do that,” he said.

“I think it’s too cute. Yeah, I would rule that out because it’s too cute. I think the people wouldn’t like that… It’s not – it wouldn’t be right.”

Among the most likely Democratic candidates for the 2028 election is Gavin Newsom, the California governor, who told CBS News on Sunday that he was considering entering the contest.

Mr Newsom said he would be “lying” if he said he was not thinking about it, but added that he would decide once the 2026 midterms were over.

Kamala Harris, the former vice-president, who lost to Mr Trump in 2024, has also teased re-entering the political fray, telling the BBC last week she is “not done”.