# Will Trump run for another term as President? **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Tags:** trump\ **Created:** [August 9, 2026, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-trump-run-for-another-term-as-president/1032236 "2026-08-09T00:49:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![vbob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/vbob/32/4439_2.png) [@vbob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vbob)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2026, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-trump-run-for-another-term-as-president/1032236/81 "2026-08-09T23:05:03Z")
By ‘running’ do you mean on the ballot, or campaigning? If the latter, it seems to me that he’s already running… ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2026, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-trump-run-for-another-term-as-president/1032236/82 "2026-08-09T23:17:44Z")
> [@Fear\_Itself](#): > > no candidate has a majority of electors (for whatever reason), each House delegation gets one vote, with the candidate getting 26 or more votes becoming president. California gets one vote; Wyoming gets one vote. Trump won’t be eligible for a contingent election either. In any event, we’re probably both wrong, because in an event where there’s somehow no election the House would be vacant and they wouldn’t be able to hold one, so whoever the Senate elected as VP would become president upon Trump’s term expiring. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2026, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-trump-run-for-another-term-as-president/1032236/83 "2026-08-09T23:24:09Z")
> [@Euphonious\_Polemic](#): > > Instead of sending in a bunch of freakin’ idiots with horn-hats and MAGA shirts who wander around and shit on desks in the Capitol, he might just try to send in troops to seize “illegal ballots” or whatever shit he can think up. Instead of 400 whack-jobs wandering around, picture 40,000 heavily armed troops with attack helicopters. That just puts us back in “Trump starts a civil war” territory. By the time the dust clears there wouldn’t be an America left for him to be president of. ---
**Author:** ![PhillyGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ed655f/32.png) [@PhillyGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PhillyGuy)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2026, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-trump-run-for-another-term-as-president/1032236/84 "2026-08-09T23:42:37Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > FYI, here is a [gift link](https://www.nytimes.com/2026/07/28/magazine/heritage-foundation-trump-republicans.html?unlocked_article_code=1.4FA.H3Y-.VfXaIs6jO6Z2&smid=url-share) to a recent New York Times article on how the Heritage Foundation is in an internal struggle, as I understand it, over whether it should support Tucker Carlson, who is seen as antisemetic. > > In short, the Heritage Foundation isn’t as powerful as it once was. Thank you for the link. The question in there seems to be where the conservative movement goes after Trump, the assumption being that DJT is in his last term. I agree with that. I also agree with whomever in there said JD Vance (“Heritage has bet on JD Vance as the Republican Party’s likely candidate for president in 2028.”). ---
**Author:** ![steronz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steronz/32/11765_2.png) [@steronz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/steronz)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2026, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-trump-run-for-another-term-as-president/1032236/85 "2026-08-10T00:16:45Z")
There are only 3 possibilities for 2028 – Trump is dead, Trump is in jail, or Trump runs for president. Let’s assume the first two are unpredictable, but barring those scenarios, Trump running in 2028 is a 100% certainty. Frankly, I’m flabbergasted than anyone who’s watched this narcissist claim that he won 2020, steal someone’s purple heart, steal someone’s Nobel peace prize, who still makes outlandish claims about being the best at golf, cognitive tests, and everything else under the sun, etc, can possibly think that he’s going to, what, say, “Thanks for letting me serve you all for the last 4 years, I’m going to retire now.” He would never, in a million years, concede that anyone other than him would make a better president, and therefore he’s going to run. Now, will he get on any ballots? That all depends on what happens in November. I think the midterms are going to be the most important election since 1860. But unless he’s incapacitated in some manner, his narcissism is the only evidence we can use to predict what he will do. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2026, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-trump-run-for-another-term-as-president/1032236/86 "2026-08-10T00:23:23Z")
> [@steronz](#): > > Trump running in 2028 is a 100% certainty. Trump filed paperwork to start his 2020 campaign the day he was inaugurated. Trump has not filed paperwork to start a 2028 campaign. Trump is not running for a third term and he has no intention of it and is just talking because it riles people up. ---
**Author:** ![Kolak\_of\_Twilo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kolak_of_twilo/32/73_2.png) [@Kolak\_of\_Twilo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kolak_of_Twilo)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2026, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-trump-run-for-another-term-as-president/1032236/87 "2026-08-10T00:24:32Z")
I will start out by saying I agree with Smapti and others who have said there is no way DJT can serve as President after 1/20/29 without a coup or overthrow of the Constitution. Having said that I do think **he may try** to run in the GOP primaries. In my opinion it would be the first step to a coup if he is allowed to do so but this [page on Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Ballot_access_for_presidential_candidates) seems to indicate it is up to the state parties as to who can be on the ballot. The Secretaries of State in each state make these determinations and deep red states like TX, FL and OK have SOS appointed by the governor rather than elected so I guess it could happen in those states. But I don’t see it ending well for the GOP or those Governors if it happened. In the end, DJT would likely be tossed off the general election ballot by the courts even if he managed to scam the GOP into nominating him. ---
**Author:** ![DWMarch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dwmarch/32/1010_2.png) [@DWMarch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DWMarch)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2026, 12:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-trump-run-for-another-term-as-president/1032236/88 "2026-08-10T00:47:11Z")
Here’s a 30 second video where Trump “jokes” about how when there is a war going on you don’t have to have elections: [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/bvUBtdHw3g4/maxresdefault.jpg "Trump makes joke about not holding elections at end of his term if US is fighting in a war") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bvUBtdHw3g4) But like I said before, we’ll see. ---
**Author:** ![steronz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steronz/32/11765_2.png) [@steronz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/steronz)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2026, 12:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-trump-run-for-another-term-as-president/1032236/89 "2026-08-10T00:50:33Z")
Yes, you’ve already shared your take in this thread, _multiple times_. I was sharing mine. You don’t really need to keep replying to people to restate your opinion again and again. ---
**Author:** ![Hari\_Seldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hari_seldon/32/5173_2.png) [@Hari\_Seldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hari_Seldon)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2026, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-trump-run-for-another-term-as-president/1032236/90 "2026-08-10T00:51:46Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > “He’ll say the electors can’t be certified!”. OK. And THEN what? How does he stop the states from certifying electors or Congress from counting them? Because we saw his best attempt at doing that six years ago and it was a colossal failure. In 2021 a **majority** of Republican congresspeople voted not to certify the electors. Just remember that. If the Dems win control of the House this fall, what happens if the outgoing congress refuses to seat them? ---
**Author:** ![steronz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steronz/32/11765_2.png) [@steronz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/steronz)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2026, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-trump-run-for-another-term-as-president/1032236/91 "2026-08-10T00:55:55Z")
LeGaLly tHEy cAn’T Do tHaT! ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2026, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-trump-run-for-another-term-as-president/1032236/92 "2026-08-10T00:58:21Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > and the changes Hegseth is making are _weakening_ the military rather than strengthening it because he’s an incompetent boob who values macho-man performative masculinity over actual readiness. Yes, of course purging the military is weakening it. Even a weakened military is still strong enough to oppress the populace. > [@Smapti](#): > > That just puts us back in “Trump starts a civil war” territory. By the time the dust clears there wouldn’t be an America left for him to be president of. OK, we’ve moved on from “he can’t because it would be illegal” to “he can’t because it would be stupid”. That’s progress, I suppose, but Trump wouldn’t let either illegality nor stupidity stop him. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2026, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-trump-run-for-another-term-as-president/1032236/93 "2026-08-10T01:07:22Z")
> [@Hari\_Seldon](#): > > If the Dems win control of the House this fall, what happens if the outgoing congress refuses to seat them? It’s not up to the outgoing congress to seat them because the House is not a continuing body. The House disestablishes itself at the end of each congress and the new House is a new organization whose members-elect vote in a Speaker who then swears them in en masses. Mike Johnson won’t be the Speaker in 2027 unless the new House votes to make him so. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2026, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-trump-run-for-another-term-as-president/1032236/94 "2026-08-10T01:09:12Z")
> [@steronz](#): > > You don’t really need to keep replying to people to restate your opinion again and again. I’m telling you facts that contradict your predictions. It’s a fact that Trump has not filed any paperwork or taken any action to set up a campaign organization. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2026, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-trump-run-for-another-term-as-president/1032236/95 "2026-08-10T01:09:48Z")
> [@DWMarch](#): > > Here’s a 30 second video where Trump “jokes” about how when there is a war going on you don’t have to have elections He was referencing the fact that that is the law in Ukraine, not stating that that is what he intends to do here. ---
**Author:** ![steronz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steronz/32/11765_2.png) [@steronz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/steronz)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2026, 1:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-trump-run-for-another-term-as-president/1032236/96 "2026-08-10T01:14:00Z")
My “prediction” was based on Trump’s personality, I didn’t mention anything about whether or not he had filed. Is filing right now a requirement? No? OK, then it’s not relevant. Care to rebut whether or not Trump is a raging narcissist? ---
**Author:** ![PhillyGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ed655f/32.png) [@PhillyGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PhillyGuy)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2026, 1:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-trump-run-for-another-term-as-president/1032236/97 "2026-08-10T01:14:57Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > Trump is not running for a third term and he has no intention of it and is just talking because it riles people up. He basically said that at the correspondents’ dinner. He will have a toady like Vance run. Then he’ll get the Republicans in purple states to send slates of electors for Vance to count on January 6, 2029. Doesn’t matter whether Vance actually won the state — GOP elector slates will be sent in. Then we see if JD Vance has an inner Mike Pence. Scary thing is — I do not think so. And neither does Trump. DJT is counting on Vance to do what is needed to keep him safely on the lam. No need to stay in the White House for another four years of construction activity. ---
**Author:** ![Kolak\_of\_Twilo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kolak_of_twilo/32/73_2.png) [@Kolak\_of\_Twilo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kolak_of_Twilo)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2026, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-trump-run-for-another-term-as-president/1032236/98 "2026-08-10T01:17:44Z")
> [@Hari\_Seldon](#): > > If the Dems win control of the House this fall, what happens if the outgoing congress refuses to seat them? Rep. Joe Morelle (D-NY), ranking member of the House Administration Committee has definite thoughts about such a thing. I have started a new thread about this exact thing in an effort to not hijack this thread. [Here’s a link to the new thread.](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-might-the-gop-keep-the-house-in-the-midterms-2026/1032259) ---
**Author:** ![Kolak\_of\_Twilo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kolak_of_twilo/32/73_2.png) [@Kolak\_of\_Twilo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kolak_of_Twilo)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2026, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-trump-run-for-another-term-as-president/1032236/99 "2026-08-10T01:19:48Z")
Correct as far as you go but Rep. Joe Morelle (D-NY) thinks [it may not be as simple](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-might-the-gop-keep-the-house-in-the-midterms-2026/1032259) as you claim. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2026, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-trump-run-for-another-term-as-president/1032236/100 "2026-08-10T02:04:30Z")
> [@PhillyGuy](#): > > He basically said that at the correspondents’ dinner. Trump says a lot of things. Rarely do they intersect with reality. > [@PhillyGuy](#): > > Then he’ll get the Republicans in purple states to send slates of electors for Vance to count on January 6, 2029. Doesn’t matter whether Vance actually won the state — GOP elector slates will be sent in Just like they did in 2020! Oh, wait, not a single state, purple or otherwise, did that. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-trump-run-for-another-term-as-president/1032236.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-trump-run-for-another-term-as-president/1032236.md?page=6)