President Donald Trump made headlines during his Oval Office meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Monday, August 18, after joking that the U.S. might not hold elections in 2028 if the country were at war.
A Lighter Meeting Than February
Trump and Zelenskyy met at the White House along with several European leaders to talk about Ukraine’s security and the ongoing war with Russia. This was Zelenskyy’s first return to Washington since a tense meeting in February, when Trump and Vice President JD Vance criticized him harshly.
This time, the atmosphere was friendlier, but Trump sparked attention when he interrupted Zelenskyy’s comments about how Ukraine pauses elections during wartime.
“So you’re saying during the war you can’t have elections,” Trump said. “So, let me just say, three and a half years from now… if we happen to be in a war with somebody, no more elections. Oh, that’s good.”
The remark drew laughs from Zelenskyy but raised concerns among critics, since it wasn’t the first time Trump has hinted at extending his presidency beyond the two-term limit.
Trump’s History of Hinting at a Third Term
Trump has openly floated the idea of staying in power past 2028. He has even sold “Trump 2028” hats on his official site and told Time magazine there are “loopholes” that might allow him to seek another term.
In a March 30 interview with NBC News, Trump declined to give details on how this could happen, but supporters have suggested possibilities such as:
- Changing the Constitution through Congress or a constitutional convention (unlikely).
- A Vance-Trump ticket in 2028, with Vance resigning to allow Trump back into office.
Steve Bannon, Trump’s former chief strategist, has said he’s “working on” strategies for Trump to return. “I’m a firm believer that President Trump will run and win again in 2028,” Bannon said.
Recent Meetings with Putin and European Leaders
Monday’s talks also included NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, Finnish President Alexander Stubb, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, French President Emmanuel Macron, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, and U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
The gathering followed Trump’s three-hour summit with Vladimir Putin in Alaska on August 15. Trump described the meeting as “extremely productive” but said a final peace deal had not yet been reached.
Afterward, Trump went on Truth Social to call for ending mail-in ballots and voting machines before the 2026 midterms. “I am going to lead a movement to get rid of MAIL-IN BALLOTS,” he wrote, claiming falsely that the U.S. is the only country still using them.
He later told Fox News’ Sean Hannity that Putin agreed with his belief that the 2020 election was “rigged” because of mail-in voting.
Looking Ahead
Despite pushback from critics, Trump has continued to insist he can achieve peace with Russia. “I know exactly what I’m doing,” he wrote online ahead of Monday’s summit. “Despite all of my lightweight and very jealous critics, I’ll get it done — I always do!!!”
