Is it 2028 already? It seems like only yesterday when it was the First 100 days. At that point, everything seem to be going well for the President. He along with his sidekick Elon Musk were running roughshod over the government bureaucracy. They were doing everything they could to decimate the American position in the world. From Inauguration Day to Liberation Day, the President was riding high, fulfilling the hopes and dreams of the creators of Project 2025.
It’s no wonder that at that point we became to hear murmurings about 2028. Here we have the anomalous situation of scarcely 100 days into the administration when the clamor for 2028 began. Suddenly there were hats to buy along with other paraphernalia. The man of the moment let slip that “people” were talking to him about 2028. He knows about the 22nd Amendment prohibiting a third term but he has very smart lawyers. Presumably, these are not the lawyers routinely denigrated as idiots and morons for the lunacy of the legal arguments they put forth to the courts now.
At this point there is nothing he needs to do legally for a hypothetical 2028 campaign. There are no papers which need to be filed. He has the leeway of simply waiting until such time as actual action needs to be taken.
What do we know now?
1. He wants to run in 2028.
2. He will try to figure out a way to do so. One should keep in mind the MAGA Party is free to nominate anyone it wants following whatever rules it wants regardless of the 22nd amendment. It can nominate Trump by acclimation if it wants to without even holding any primaries.
Who in the MAGA party is going to challenge him?
Who in the Republican party is going to challenge him? Liz Chaney?
3. If there appears to be any hiccup in this process, not to worry. He already has designated two people as possible successors. Contestant #1 in the game of Apprentice is the Vice President of the United States. Contestant #2 is the Secretary of State (among other roles).
So what if Democrats prohibit Trump’s name from appearing on the ballot, he has two people who make Mike Pence seem independent waiting in the wings who can appear instead.
What could go wrong?
1. What will his medical state be in 2028 when he will be 82 and what would it be when he is 86? Notice how he holds the railing when climbing into a plane or disembarking. There is nothing particularly unusual in a nearly 79-year old person using a railing steady himself. What else is going on? He never releases medical reports so there is no way of knowing. How about his hearing?
2. What will his mental state be in 2028? The immature child with the emotional maturity of a three year-old presents a challenging subject. He always had demonstrated reduced mental necessities and has done so for decades. He is not even capable of reading a book including Project 2025. He is not capable of reading a briefing book. Apparently he can read the word “TACO.” Unfortunately, when he delivers another in a series of incoherent speeches, is it a sign of deterioration or simply more of the same?
3. What will his political state be in 2028? There are actual Republican Senators who are not enamored of Putin and who support Ukraine. They may be in luck in not needing to defy Trump over American action given since even Trump is gradually coming to realize that Putin’s negotiating position is he wins and you lose. Putin’s defiance of Trump’s hissy fit tweets may mean the Senate will begin to develop a backbone and stand-up to Trump’s position. Similarly, they may find the strength to oppose the big beautiful tax bill as well. Once the bully loses his bully aura, his power can collapse rather quickly particularly after the court just eviscerated his tariffs. More anti-Trump rulings to follow. By 2028, Trump’s control over the Republican Party may be substantially diminished from what it is now. There is a limit to even how many defeats Foxhub can spin into victories.
4. What will his political state be in 2027/2028 is a long way off. His big beautiful tax cut for the rich and elimination of social programs for everyone else comes with a price. How many disasters in MAGA states from tornadoes, flooding and hurricanes do there have to be before even MAGAs come to realize the advantages of a robust national safety net and weather forecast models? Even though the courts may have rescued him from sticker-shock price increases and stopped a recession in its tracks, there is a good chance that even the Democratic Party can make gains in 2026. Republican-elected officials who cannot face their constituents in town meetings may choose to retire.
In short, 2027, may be the year of the fourth impeachment. There will be so many charges against him, the hearings in the House may take months. Even the Senate may have enough votes to convict him. His removal from office will render the third term candidacy question moot. The only question may be how long to the Democrats want Vance to be in office and get a head start for 2028 and how soon Republicans want to move on under Vance .
Time moves quickly. At one moment for 100 days, all was going well for the would-be king wreaking havoc everywhere. In the next moment it is Liberation Day. Court decision after court decision goes against him. Putin continues to defy him. Cleaning up the mess created by the Trump Muskacre will be a nightmare. Future court decisions will further complicate his life. And finally, finally, finally, someone in a position of media power has come up with a nasty nickname that really gets under Trump’s skin. It will be interesting to compare the MAGA’s and TACO’s at Trump’s birthday parade.
