Former President Donald Trump said he does not expect to run for office in 2028 if he loses the U.S. presidential election scheduled for this November.
Trump, 78, has been the Republican nominee in three consecutive national elections and has vastly transformed the party over the past eight years.
In an interview with Sinclair Media Group, where he was asked if he could foresee another run if he loses to Democratic candidate Kamala Harris, the former president replied: “No, I don’t think so. I think… that will be it.”
And he added: “I don’t see it at all“.
However, he said, “Hopefully, we will be very successful.”
Under US law, presidents are prohibited from serving more than two terms, so even if he wins, he would not be eligible to run in the 2028 election.
In the past, the real estate mogul has rarely acknowledged the possibility of losing an election.
In fact, he has more often than not taken it upon himself to enthuse his supporters with speeches and social media posts in which he promises victory at the polls.
But this is the second time in four days that he has mentioned the possibility of defeat.
Funds
At an event hosted by the Israeli American Council on Thursday, the Republican leader raised the possibility of losing and suggested that any such defeat would be partly the fault of Jewish voters.
“Do you know what the hell will happen if I don’t win this election?” he said, according to several media reports.
“And the Jews would have a lot to do with that, because with 40% (support) that means 60% are voting for the enemy.”
Those comments were criticized by Harris’s campaign and by the American Jewish Committee and the Anti-Defamation League, both nonpartisan organizations.
Trump’s acknowledgements of a possible defeat could reflect How the Democratic Party’s outlook has changed since Harris became their nominee, following President Joe Biden’s decision to drop out of the race for the White House.
His campaign raised more than $190 million in August, compared to $130 million raised by the Trump campaign and affiliated organizations.
In the polls
In the national poll averages tracked by the BBC, Harris leads Trumpand a poll released Sunday by US broadcaster CBS shows him leading Trump by 52% to 48% nationally.
In key US states that look set to be decisive for the overall outcome, Harris has a narrower lead of 51% to 49%, a slight improvement from 50% in a similar poll conducted last month by BBC news partner CBS.
Another poll released Sunday by NBC shows Harris with a five-point lead over Trump nationwide.
It also found that 48% of registered voters view her positively compared to 32% in July.
It is the biggest jump since sympathy for then-President George W. Bush surged after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.
But, like other polls, the NBC poll showed that Trump had a clear lead among voters on some of the most important issues of the election, including the economy, the cost of living and immigration..
The BBC has contacted the Trump campaign for comment on the poll data.
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