A new bill has been introduced that looks to ensure that President Donald Trump is excluded from the ballot in the 2028 presidential election.

California state Senator Tom Umberg, a Democrat, introduced the measure about the possibility of the president serving a third term.

Why It Matters

The idea that Trump would run for a third term have circulated since the beginning of his second term last January—by the president and people in his inner circle, and Trump 2028 merchandise went on sale in early 2025. Trump, though, has repeatedly changed tack on the idea, saying at times that he wasn’t joking about running, and later saying it was not something he would do.

The 22nd Amendment of the U.S. Constitution bars a president from serving more than two terms.

What To Know

Umberg, who represents Santa Ana and is a chairperson of the Senate Judiciary Committee, is proposing a bill that would allow the California secretary of state to request proof of a candidate’s eligibility. The bill would exclude candidates from the ballot if they are constitutionally ineligible.

"It’s a belt and suspenders approach to make sure that his delusion doesn’t become reality,” Umberg said in a press release about the bill.

It’s not the only resolution that has been filed pertaining to the president running for a third term. In January 2025, a resolution was introduced by Representative Andy Ogles, a Tennessee Republican, to amend the portion of the Constitution that prevents a president from being elected more than twice.

The wording of that amendment though, would prevent other two-term presidents like Barack Obama from running for a third term as it applies only to those who have served two non-consecutive terms. Trump is the only living person to fit that description.

Can Trump Run Again in 2028?

The U.S. Constitution's 22nd Amendment clearly bars presidents from being elected more than twice. It states, “no person... shall be elected more than twice.”

However, some Trump supporters, as well as the president himself, have suggested that there could be ways around it. In March 2025, Trump told NBC's Kristen Welker he was "not joking" about considering a third term, adding that there were "methods which you could do it."

He went on to shift his position, though, while speaking to Welker in a further interview in May.

“I'll be an eight-year president, I'll be a two-term president," he said. "I always thought that was very important."

What People Are Saying

President Donald Trump, speaking to reporters on board Air Force One in March 2025: "I'm not looking at that but I'll tell you, I have had more people ask me to have a third term, which in a way is a fourth term because the other election, the 2020 election was totally rigged, so it's actually sort of a fourth term. I just don't want the credit for the second because Biden was so bad, he did such a bad job, and I think that's one of the reasons that I'm popular, if you want to know the truth."

State Senator Tom Umberg, a California Democrat, in a press release about his bill: “I have a sell-by date on my head, so that’s important for me, personally, to leave this as part of my legacy.”

What Happens Next

Trump has declined to say who he thinks should be his successor, but Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio are often floated in connection with the 2028 presidential election.

Read more here: Newsweek