Get all your news in one place.
100's of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
The Independent UK
The Independent UK
Josh Marcus

‘Trump 2028’: President poses as decorated general and threatens to run again in bizarre series of AI posts

President Donald Trump went on a late-night posting spree on Truth Social on Thursday, sharing a Trump 2028 poster as well as images of himself inserted, apparently with the help of AI, alongside famous figures of American history.

One post featured Trump in military regalia alongside Generals George Patton and Douglas MacArthur, who served in World War II.

Others put the president alongside his famous White House predecessors.

In one image, Presidents Trump, Abraham Lincoln and George Washington all appeared to sign a map of the United States.

Another Truth Social post had Trump standing and laughing alongside President John F. Kennedy at Camp David.

Perhaps most strikingly, the president used his post barrage to again float running for a constitutionally barred third term.

The Republican has often mused aloud or joked about a third term, including donning a Trump 2028 hat at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner, though he has also said he’s aware he can’t run.

In the Oval Office on Thursday, President Trump again blurred the lines.

“We'll have a big percentage of the chip business by the time I leave office, which could be a long time,” Trump said. “Who knows? But it could also be fairly quick. They say two-and-a-half years. We're gonna find out."

In the same conversation with reporters, the president spoke about his thoughts on Vice President JD Vance’s potential 2028 campaign, describing the present as “too early” to make an endorsement.

In private, the president has reportedly told Republican donors he prefers Vance in 2028.

The president often wears a Trump 2028 hat, even though he has acknowledged he’s legally barred from seeking a third term (AP)
The president often wears a Trump 2028 hat, even though he has acknowledged he’s legally barred from seeking a third term (AP)

The Independent has contacted the White House for comment.

The president’s allies have also offered mixed statements about a Trump 2028 run.

“It’s been a great run, but I think the president knows, and he and I’ve talked about the constraints of the Constitution,” House Speaker Mike Johnson told reporters last year.

Podcaster and former Trump adviser Steve Bannon has said there’s a “plan” that would allow Trump to seek office again.

“He’s going to get a third term. Trump is going to be president in ‘28 and people ought to just get accommodated with that,” Bannon told The Economist in a video interview.

In October, the president admitted he can’t run for a third term, calling it “sad.”

Critics have accused the president of leaning into authoritarian tendencies through a variety of actions, including cracking down on the press, the use of masked immigration agents and the display of large banners of his face put over Washington government banners.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100's of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.