US President Donald Trump has dismissed mounting speculation about a possible third term in office, stating unequivocally that he will not seek to extend his presidency beyond the constitutional limit of two terms.

“I’ll be an eight-year president, I’ll be a two-term president. I always thought that was very important,” Trump said during an interview with NBC’s Meet the Press host Kristen Welker, aired Sunday. The remarks were recorded Friday at his Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida, shortly after he marked 100 days of his second term in office.

The 78-year-old president addressed growing rumors triggered by earlier comments and merchandise — including “Trump 2028” hats sold by the Trump Organization — that had fueled speculation about his political future. Trump acknowledged he had made such remarks to rile the media but clarified he had no intention of defying the Constitution.

“I’ve had many requests to stay longer, but that’s not something I’m looking to do,” he said. “To the best of my knowledge, you’re not allowed to do it.”

The US Constitution’s 22nd Amendment, ratified in 1951, limits presidents to two elected terms. Any amendment to overturn it would require a two-thirds majority in Congress and ratification by 38 states — a politically near-impossible task.

Although some supporters have floated hypothetical legal workarounds, none have been seriously tested in court. Trump declined to discuss such theories in detail, only noting that “many people have said different things.”

The president also used the interview to defend his handling of the economy amid new concerns following the first quarterly contraction since 2022. Trump attributed the slowdown to “a transition period” caused by his aggressive tariff policy but said he remained confident: “I think we’re going to do fantastically.”

He suggested that tariffs may become a permanent fixture of his economic strategy, describing them as an incentive for companies to invest in domestic manufacturing. Addressing concerns over reduced consumer goods availability, Trump said, “They don’t need to have 30 dolls. They can have three. They don’t need to have 250 pencils. They can have five.”

Finally, while ruling out a third run, Trump signaled confidence in the Republican Party’s future and floated names such as Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio as potential successors.