Former White House strategist and conservative commentator Steve Bannon has claimed that former US President Donald Trump will return to power for a “third term” in 2028, arguing that America “needs him to finish what we started.”
In an interview in Washington, DC, with The Economist editor-in-chief Zanny Minton Beddoes and deputy editor Ed Carr, Bannon insisted Trump would defy political odds and return to the White House despite the 22nd Amendment, which limits presidents to two terms.
“He’s going to get a third term, so Trump 28. Trump is going to be president in 28, and people just ought to get accommodated with that,” Bannon said. He added that legal alternatives exist to navigate the constitutional restrictions, without providing specifics.
Bannon, a key figure in the Make America Great Again (MAGA) movement, described Trump as a divinely chosen leader whose influence transcends conventional political norms. “Trump is a vehicle—he’s a vehicle of divine providence. He’s an instrument. He’s very imperfect… but he’s an instrument of divine will. We need him for at least one more term, right? And he’ll get that in 28,” he said.
When pressed on whether another Trump presidency would undermine the Constitution, Bannon argued it would reflect the will of the American people rather than violate it. “If the American people, with the mechanisms we have, put Trump back in office, are the American people tearing up the Constitution? Would that be tearing it up? I think not,” he said.
Bannon also dismissed concerns about potential authoritarianism, describing Trump’s leadership as a series of negotiations and trade-offs rather than dictatorial control.
Despite contradictions in his statements regarding constitutional limits, Bannon remained adamant that Trump’s return was crucial for America’s future. “The only way President Trump wins in 2028 and continues to stay in office is by the will of the American people. And the will of the American people is what the Constitution embodies,” he said.
Bannon concluded the interview by reiterating, “We need to finish what we started.”
