Trump Says He's Not 'Looking' To Run For a Third Term In Office: 'It Would Be a Very Hard Thing'

President Donald Trump reportedly said he's not "looking" to run for a third term in office despite having previously teased to do so and allies touting the possibility.

In an interview with The Atlantic for its June issue, Trump said a 2028 run "would be a big shattering." "Well, maybe I'm just trying to shatter," he added.

However, he later clarified that "it's not something that I'm looking to do," saying "it would be a very hard thing."

The statement is different to previous comments on the matter. Last month he said he was "not joking" about the possibility and noted that people are encouraging him to do so. "A lot of people want me to do it," Trump told NBC News this month. "But, I mean, I basically tell them we have a long way to go, you know, it's very early in the administration," Trump said.

Some allies, however, are openly discussing the possibility. Former White House strategist Steve Bannon said this month that he is working on "five or six different alternatives" to that end.

"Quite frankly, I think four or five are going to work. I continue to say, as I told Bill Maher, on the afternoon of January 20th, 2029, Donald Trump is going to be president for his third term," Bannon added.

Asked about the two-term limit, Bannon said "we're working on it." "I think we'll have a couple of alternatives," he said. "Let's say that we'll see what the definition of term limit is."

The Trump Store, managed by the Trump organization, has also begun selling "Trump 2028" hats. "Make a statement with this Made in America Trump 2028 hat. Fully embroidered with a snap closure in the back, this will become your new go-to hat," reads the caption of the website selling the product.

It is highly unlikely that Trump would be allowed to seek a third term. The 22nd Amendment, added to the Constitution in 1951 after President Franklin D. Roosevelt was elected four times in a row, saying "no person shall be elected to the office of the President more than twice." changing that amendment would require a two-thirds vote of Congress and three-fourths vote of the states.