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US President Donald Trump does not take any step without reason. His every move is either to trouble his opponents or to encourage his supporters. This is the reason why his red hats also become a topic of discussion in the media. Once again, they started being discussed when Trump showed his hats to European leaders at the White House. Especially people’s eyes were fixed on the ‘Trump 2028’ hat.
‘Trump 2028’ hats and T-shirts are being sold on the Trump Organization’s website since April 2025. This red hat is being sold for around Rs 4200. They are being sold with slogans like ‘Make a Statement’ and ‘Made in America’. Even a T-shirt has ‘Trump 2028 Rules Rewrite’ written on it, which means rewrite the rules. His son Eric Trump shared pictures wearing this hat on social media. After which the intentions behind it are being discussed.
What does the US Constitution say?
The 22nd Amendment to the US Constitution clearly states that no person can be elected president more than twice. Donald Trump, who won in 2016 and 2024, cannot contest a third term in 2028 as per the rules. This amendment came into force in the US in 1951 after Franklin D. Roosevelt’s four terms. He held the presidency from 1933 to 1945 as the two-term limit was not in the law at that time, but after Roosevelt’s long term, this rule was made to prevent centralization of power.
What is in Donald Trump’s heart?
Trump and his supporters talk about challenging this limit. In March 2025, Trump told NBC News that he was not joking about a third term and there are some ways in which this could be possible. One possible way is believed to be that Trump contests the election in 2028 with JD Vance as Vice President and if he resigns after winning, Trump can become President. At the same time, some people also say that Trump’s two terms (2017-2021 and 2025-2029) are not consecutive, so he can contest again. However, legal experts consider this unconstitutional, because the rule sets the limit of elections, whether the terms are consecutive or not. If the Constitution is to be changed, then a two-thirds majority in both houses of Congress and approval of 38 out of 50 states is required, which Trump’s Republican Party does not have. However, due to Trump’s controversial image, alternative ways cannot be ruled out.
Is Trump following the path of Vladimir Putin?
Russian President Vladimir Putin did something similar when he had no option left to remain president. He changed the provision of Article 81(3) of the Russian Constitution, under which a person cannot remain president for more than two consecutive terms. The 2020 amendments removed the word ‘consecutive’ from this rule and nullified Putin’s previous terms. This allowed Putin to contest for two more terms in 2024 and 2030 and he can remain in power till 2036.
However, it will not be easy for Trump to do this in America. Anyway, many times such strategies are part of his branding. Some people on social media are calling it a joke but some people are seeing it as a constitutional threat.
