President Donald Trump told an Iowa rally crowd on October 23, 2026 that he believes he has the right to run for president again in 2028, despite the Constitution's 22nd Amendment barring anyone from being elected to the office more than twice.
The president spoke in Iowa to boost Republican Senate candidate Ashley Hinson, who is running against Democrat Josh Turek in a race that could help decide control of the Senate, according to The Daily Beast. Trump told the crowd he is not fully convinced the law blocks another campaign, pointing again to his long-running claim that the 2020 election was stolen from him.
Trump: 'I think I have the right to run again'
Trump has insisted for years that he won the 2020 race against Joe Biden, who received more than 80 million votes to Trump's more than 70 million. No evidence has substantiated those claims, but the president repeated them at the Iowa event.
Well, the one thing is different, they cheated us on the second one because we won it three times, Trump said, according to reporting from NPR on the president's pre-midterm posture. So I think I have the right to run again.
He also said he is not 100 percent sure the law prevents him from another run, and he touted favorable poll numbers even as a Reuters and Ipsos survey released October 19 put his approval rating at 31 percent.
Trump admits the 22nd Amendment leaves little room
The president pulled back from the claim later in his remarks. He said he had studied the 22nd Amendment forever in search of an opening that might match his election-rigging allegations, but found the language leaves few options.
Unfortunately, it's quite concise, Trump said. There's not a lot of wiggle room.
Many of the president's supporters have characterized the third-term talk as a joke intended to needle Democrats rather than a serious trial balloon. Yahoo News, which carried the rally remarks, reported that Trump told the Iowa crowd he has the right to run again in 2028, a line that drew cheers from the audience.
Rally aimed at Hinson's Senate bid
The stop in Iowa was part of a broader rally schedule ahead of the November 3 midterms. Fox News reported that Trump's rally blitz is designed to lift Republican candidates across the map in what both parties are treating as a referendum on the president's second term.
Hinson, a Republican congresswoman from Marion, is competing against Turek, a Democratic state lawmaker from Council Bluffs, in a race The Daily Beast described as taking place in a previously reliable red state. Trump has won Iowa every time he has appeared on the ballot here, a streak that also belonged to former President Barack Obama when he ran in the state.
The president opened the rally by praising Iowa farmers, a constituency central to the state's economy and to Republican fortunes here. His remarks came as growers continue to grapple with elevated diesel and fertilizer costs and with export disruptions tied to the administration's trade policies, pressures that farm groups have warned about for months.
What this means for Iowa voters
For Iowa Republicans, the rally served two purposes: energizing the base for Hinson and keeping the president's supporters engaged ahead of what both parties expect to be a hard-fought Election Day. The third-term commentary, whatever its intent, guarantees the constitutional question will follow Trump into the closing stretch of the campaign.
Legal scholars across the political spectrum agree the 22nd Amendment is unambiguous: no person shall be elected to the office of President more than twice. Trump himself conceded the point at the rally, telling the Iowa crowd the text is concise and offers little room to maneuver.
Frequently asked questions
What did Trump say about a third term in Iowa?
At an October 23, 2026 rally in Iowa, Trump said he believes he has the right to run for president again in 2028, while also acknowledging that the 22nd Amendment is concise and leaves not a lot of wiggle room.
Does the Constitution allow a president to serve three terms?
No. The 22nd Amendment states that no person shall be elected to the office of President more than twice, and Trump conceded at the rally that the language is clear.
Why was Trump in Iowa?
Trump campaigned for Republican Senate candidate Ashley Hinson, who faces Democrat Josh Turek in the November 3 midterm election.
What is Trump's approval rating?
A Reuters and Ipsos poll released October 19, 2026 put the president's approval rating at 31 percent, even as Trump promoted more favorable numbers at the rally.