Former President Donald Trump declared on Sunday that he will not seek another presidential term in 2028 if he loses the upcoming November election to Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic nominee.
The 78-year-old Republican nominee made the revelation during an interview on the weekly Sunday television program Full Measure with host Sharyl Attkisson.
When asked about the possibility of running again in 2028 if unsuccessful this November, Trump stated firmly, “No, I don’t. I think that that will be, that will be it. I don’t see that at all.”
Trump’s statement comes at a crucial juncture in the 2024 presidential race, which has been dramatically reshaped following President Joe Biden’s unexpected withdrawal in July after a CNN debate with Trump in June.
Newsweek has contacted Harris’ and Trump’s campaign via email on Sunday for comment.
Adding to the evolving political landscape, a recent NBC News poll reveals a remarkable surge in Harris’ popularity since becoming the Democratic nominee in August at the Democratic National Convention (DNC).
The poll, conducted from September 13 to 17, surveyed 1,000 registered voters nationally. It shows Harris’ favorability has increased by 16 points since July, an unprecedented rise for a major party presidential candidate in the poll’s 35-year history. The margin of error for this poll is plus or minus 3.1 percentage points.
In Sunday’s NBC News poll, Harris has seen a rise to a 48 percent positive score, with a slightly lower 45 percent negative perception, providing a +3 net rating. This marks a dramatic improvement from her -18 net rating in July, when she was viewed positively by 32 percent of registered voters against 50 percent who perceived her negatively.
Democratic pollster Jeff Horwitt of Hart Research Associates, who conducted the survey alongside Republican pollster Bill McInturff, told NBC News, “In July, there was a stiff breeze heading directly at President Biden and obscuring a clear path to victory. Today, the winds have turned in Kamala Harris’ favor.”
In contrast, Trump’s net rating remains largely unchanged at -13, with 40 percent viewing him positively and 53 percent negatively. This stability in Trump’s numbers, coupled with Harris’ surge, sets the stage for a highly competitive race in November.
While Harris’ improvement is noteworthy, the poll also reveals potential challenges for Democrats. Inflation and the cost of living continue to be top concerns for voters, with 66 percent claiming their family’s income cannot keep up with rising costs according to the poll. Additionally, 65 percent of voters believe the nation is on the wrong track, a sentiment that has often preceded changes in White House control.
The closeness of the race is particularly evident in key battleground states, where Harris and Trump are often separated by less than a percentage point. This neck-and-neck contest has energized both parties’ bases and intensified the focus on undecided voters, who could prove key to securing Electoral College success.
Age might be a bigger deciding factor in this race. Nearly a third of independent voters believe that Trump’s age will “severely limit” his ability to be president, according to an Economist/YouGov survey of 1,604 U.S. adults conducted on August 2. The poll found that 34 percent think the 78-year-old’s age will be a major issue if he returns to the White House in January 2025.
Specifically, 32 percent of independent voters, who could prove crucial in key swing states, believe that Trump’s health and age would affect his ability to fulfill his duties as president if reelected in November.
This figure surpasses the number of independent voters who think Trump’s age will have “little effect” (29 percent) or no effect at all (24 percent) on his ability to be president. The issue of Trump’s age has gained prominence following Biden’s withdrawal from the race and his endorsement of 59-year-old Harris. Harris has since seen a surge in enthusiasm and support, particularly among young voters.
Despite being only three years younger than Biden, Trump hadn’t previously faced the same level of public concern about his age or cognitive ability. However, as the oldest presidential nominee in U.S. history, these concerns are now coming to the forefront. In contrast, only 7 percent of U.S. adults believe Harris’ age will affect her ability to be president, with 80 percent saying it will have little or no effect, according to the Economist/YouGov survey.
