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POTUS joking about Trump 2028? Netizens raise questions after ‘fourth term’ remark at WHCD
Donald Trump's remarks about seeking a "fourth term" and donning a "Trump 2028" hat at the White House Correspondents' Dinner has sparked fresh debate online.
President Donald Trump ignited another social media storm after joking about running for a "fourth term" during the White House Correspondents' Dinner (WHCD). He then proceeded to put on a "Trump 2028" cap on stage.
The moment immediately went viral, with supporters dismissing it as comedy while critics questioned whether the president was signaling something more.
Speaking near the end of his hour-long address at the rescheduled WHCD in Washington D., Trump declared, "I am pleased to announce my intention to run for a fourth term as President of the United States. I will be doing that."
He then repeated his longstanding false claim that he had won the 2020 election, saying, "I won three times, now I'm going to do it again." Moments later, he placed a "Trump 2028" hat on his head as the audience reacted.
Social media divided over "Trump 2028" remarks
Trump's comments prompted sharply divided reactions online. Some supporters argued the president was clearly joking, while others speculated he might be testing public opinion.
One viral post from commentator War Clandestine said many people believed Trump was joking but suggested he "might not be kidding." The post argued that Trump's repeated references to 2028, coupled with his claims about the 2020 election, could amount to "soft disclosure."
The user wrote, “What if he’s not kidding, and this is soft disclosure? And before anyone says it’s illegal to run for a 3rd term, I’m very much aware of this, but if we continue on this trajectory, and we find out more about how the Dems conspired with our adversaries to subvert our elections, all the “rules” go out the window.”
Others rejected that interpretation outright.
The account @tremp2028 wrote, “Okay this is an insane narrative. Trump literally said he is gonna win again in 2028. But he can't. It is literally against the 22nd Amendment. A president can't run more than twice. The main one went to 2M but it shouldn't be TRUMP2028 since he literally cant run again. The real meme is that he can't.”
Another supporter, Louis Montoya, described the moment as quintessential Trump. He wrote that "only Trump can make constitutional term limits feel like a suggestion," calling the president "an absolute legend."
Also read: From 'sleeping' to 'pissed': 5 viral Trump moments from White House Correspondents’ Dinner
Critics question intent
Critics, however, viewed the moment differently.
The progressive account Call to Activism criticized Trump's remarks, saying his speech reinforced concerns about his rhetoric. The post read, “Trump ends his over hour long speech by putting a Trump 2028 hat on his head."
The account further criticized the president and wrote, "This speech demonstrated what we all know. Trump is a small, mean, demented man. A sad excuse for a president and a piss poor reflection of the morons who support him.”
Another widely shared post from @kalehalen said, "Trump announces he's running for a fourth term," adding, "I think he's actually serious."
Another comment from an X user noted that Trump's repeated references to 2028 could complicate Republican presidential politics by overshadowing potential future candidates. The user wrote, “It's going to be amazing when Republicans actually start running for 2028, and Trump keeps sabotaging them by hinting that he could run again if he wanted to.”
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