White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt has publicly acknowledged a timeline for Donald Trump’s presidency. In other words, she seems to be contradicting the president’s persistent hints about remaining in office beyond 2028. Leavitt acknowledged what the Constitution states about such an extension.
Karoline Leavitt’s Fox interview cuts against Donald Trump’s repeated 2028 teasing
Speaking with Fox News host Lara Trump, the president’s daughter-in-law, Leavitt was asked how she balances motherhood with her role as one of Trump’s chief spokespeople. In her response, she said she felt proud of the “public service” her White House job allows, adding, “I realize it’s temporary. President Trump is only here in D.C. for four years.”
Leavitt’s remark stands in contrast to Trump’s own comments over the past several months, in which he has repeatedly floated the idea of extending his time in office beyond two terms. At Friday’s rescheduled White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner, Trump told the assembled reporters and political leaders, “I’m going to do it again,” while wearing a red “Trump 2028” hat. He also quipped, “Just like my presidency, the second time is always better. It’s always better. And the third time will be better yet,” before adding, “I’m only kidding.”
Additionally, during a commencement address at the U.S. Coast Guard Academy in May, Trump told graduates, “I’m going to be here in ’28. Maybe I’ll be here in ’32 too. I don’t know.” However, the 22nd Amendment states that “no person shall be elected to the office of the President more than twice.”
Even so, Donald Trump has suggested there might be ways around that limit. In a May 2025 interview with NBC News, he said he was “not joking” about a third term and claimed there were “methods” to remain in office (via Huffpost).
Karoline Leavitt’s accidental candour came as she pivoted to campaign messaging in the same interview. She acknowledged the country’s affordability crisis but blamed it on former President Joe Biden and the Democrats. But Trump has previously dismissed the term “affordability” as a Democratic invention.
