While a Trump-Obama showdown in 2028 is as unlikely as you can get, the political battle would certainly come with a years-long history of animosity.
Though President Donald Trump is constitutionally barred from running for a third term, that hasn’t stopped him from suggesting he would attempt to stay in office passed January 2029 when his second term ends. Trump, who on Sunday said he was “not joking” about the prospect of seeking a third term, recently told reporters that if he was the Republican presidential nominee in 2028, he would “love” a matchup against former President Barack Obama.
While answering questions in the Oval Office on Monday, Trump was asked by Fox News White House Correspondent Peter Doocy his thoughts about a 2028 run for president if Democrats nominated Barack Obama, a years-long political foe– the theory being that if former presidents can run for a third time, Obama, 63, would too be eligible.
“I’d love that,” Trump responded immediately. “That would be a good one. I’d like that.” Moments later, the president said he “doesn’t know” if he can actually run for a third term, adding, “I’d have to look into it.” The day before, he told reporters that there were “methods” to do so.
As theGrio previously reported, Trump is only eligible for a third term if Congress passes a constitutional amendment with bipartisan support to achieve two-thirds of the vote, as required by law. The other unlikely option is to ratify the constitution through a special meeting known as a convention, where three-fourths of all 50 U.S. states must agree to it.
The political fantasy of former President Obama jumping into the race against Trump in 2028 was jokingly embraced by the progressive hosts of “Pod Save America,” who are former Obama White House staffers.
“Obama should run,” said Tommy Vietor, a former Obama spokesperson. “We should mop the floor with this piece of s–t. Run it back, sir.”
Jon Favreau, former Obama speechwriter, said of the prospect: “If he’s going to try to, you know, bait us, and make us freak out, have fun with it–we should have some fun with this.” He added, “We should say, yes, Barack is going to run and mop the floor with him.”
While the reality of a Trump-Obama showdown in 2028 is as unlikely as you can get, the political battle would certainly come with a years-long history of animosity. In 2008, Trump infamously led the racist conspiracy campaign that Obama was not born in the United States and, therefore, not eligible to be president. After Obama produced a birth certificate proving his citizenship in 2011, he later returned some political jabs at Trump at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner that same year. In the ensuing years, Obama and Trump remained political adversaries, particularly as Obama campaigned against his successor in the 2016, 2020, and 2024 elections.
The two presidents shocked many when they cordially spoke during the funeral service for former President Jimmy Carter in January.
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