Former President Donald Trump has stated that he does not expect to run again if he loses the U.S. presidential election in November 2028.
Trump, 78, has been the Republican nominee in three consecutive national elections and has dramatically reshaped the party over the past eight years.
In an interview with Sinclair Media Group, he was asked if he could imagine running again if he lost to Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris. “No, I don’t think so. I think … that’s it,” Trump said. “I don’t see that at all.”
However, he added: “Hopefully we will be very successful.”
Since it is illegal in the United States for a president to remain in office for more than two terms, it is not expected that Trump will run in 2028, even if he wins the election.
In the past, the real estate mogul has rarely considered the possibility of electoral defeat, instead inciting his supporters with speeches and social media posts promising victory.
But this is the second time in four days that he has spoken of a possible defeat.
At an Israel-American Council event on Thursday, he raised the possibility of defeat, saying such a loss would be partly the fault of Jewish voters.
“Do you know what the hell happens if I don’t win this election?” he said, according to various media reports. “And the Jewish people would have a lot to do with it if that happens, because at 40% (support), that means 60% of the people are voting for the enemy.”
The comments were condemned by the Harris campaign team as well as the bipartisan American Jewish Committee and the Anti-Defamation League.
Trump’s admission of possible defeat may reflect how the Democratic Party’s prospects have changed since Harris became its nominee following President Joe Biden’s decision to drop out of the race.
Her campaign raised more than $190 million (£142 million) in August, compared with $130 million raised by the Trump campaign and affiliated organizations.
In national survey averages According to the BBC, she is ahead of Trump, and a CBS poll released Sunday found her ahead of Trump nationwide, 52% to 48%.
In the key swing states in the US, which are likely to be decisive in the overall outcome, Harris is leading by a narrower margin of 51 percent to 49 percent, a slight improvement on the 50 percent obtained in a similar poll last month by CBS, the BBC’s news partner.
Another poll released by NBC on Sunday showed Harris leading Trump by five percentage points nationwide.
It also found that 48 percent of registered voters view her favorably, up from 32 percent in July. This is the largest increase since then-President George W. Bush’s approval ratings surged after the attacks of September 11, 2001.
But like other polls, the NBC poll suggests that Trump has a clear lead among voters on some of the key campaign issues, such as the economy, the cost of living and immigration.
The BBC has asked the Trump team for comment on the poll data.
