Trump hints at ‘fourth term’ in joke during White House dinner speech

United States President Donald Trump has joked about seeking another term in the White House, telling guests at the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner that he planned to run for what he called a “fourth term” as president.

Trump made the remarks on Friday during the rescheduled annual dinner held at the Waldorf Astoria in Washington, DC. Wearing a red “Trump 2028” cap, the president joked that he wanted to use the occasion to make a major announcement.

Speaking to the audience, Trump said, “I’m pleased to announce my intention to, and this is somewhat of a scoop, my intention to run for a fourth term as President of the United States. I will be doing that. It should be easy. I’m getting very good at running for president.”

His comments drew attention because the US Constitution limits presidents to two elected terms. Under the 22nd Amendment, no person can be elected president more than twice, making another presidential bid legally impossible.

During his speech, Trump also revisited the 2020 presidential election, once again insisting that he won the contest despite the official result showing that former President Joe Biden defeated him.

“I won three times. Did very well the second time, by the way. It’s a rigged election, but we’ll have to talk about it,” Trump said, repeating claims he has made on several occasions since leaving office after the 2020 election.

Although the comments were made in a humorous setting, they quickly generated reactions because of the constitutional restriction on presidential terms in the United States.

Friday’s event marked Trump’s first appearance at the annual White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner as president. He had skipped the dinner throughout his first term in office and had also stayed away during the early part of his second term.

The dinner was originally scheduled to take place in April but had to be postponed after gunfire near the venue forced an evacuation of attendees, including Trump and First Lady Melania Trump. Authorities later arrested a suspect in connection with the incident.

Unlike previous editions, which had been hosted at the Washington Hilton for nearly six decades, this year’s rescheduled event was held under tight security at the Waldorf Astoria in Washington, DC.

Trump’s lighthearted remarks have continued to attract public attention, even though the US Constitution clearly prevents any president from being elected to a third term, making his comments widely viewed as a joke rather than a serious political announcement.