US president signals he may stay out of 2028 succession race

President Donald Trump has acknowledged that he cannot run again in 2028 and signalled he may withhold an endorsement in the race to succeed him, saying staying out of the contest could be the better option.

In a television interview aired on Sunday, Trump said that in two years someone else would be the Republican nominee for president, conceding publicly that the constitution bars him from a third term.

Asked about his plans, he said he might not get involved in the 2028 race at all, a stance that could complicate the position of Vice President JD Vance, who is widely seen as a leading contender for the nomination.

Trump's comments are likely to intensify the early manoeuvring among potential Republican candidates, several of whom have been building national profiles while avoiding direct discussion of their ambitions.

Political analysts say an open contest without an endorsement from Trump would be the party's first genuinely competitive primary in more than a decade.