President Donald Trump once again fueled speculation about a possible third term by joking about a presidential candidacy for 2028 during a rally held this Wednesday in Georgia, a key state in American politics where he also insisted on tightening electoral rules for the midterm elections.

“I'm here to announce my candidacy… Just kidding,” Trump said as he took the stage at a Marietta high school, prompting a loud applause from those in attendance.

Although the comment was received as a joke, the president has resorted to these types of references on several occasions despite the fact that the United States Constitution limits presidential terms to two. Trump, who already governed between 2017 and 2021 and is currently serving his second term in the White House, cannot legally aspire to the 2028 elections.

The president has indicated on several occasions that supporters of the MAGA (Make America Great Again) movement are asking him to remain in power beyond 2029. At the same time, he has mentioned Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio as possible successors within the Republican Party.

Trump once again makes Georgia the center of the electoral debate

The event marked Trump's political return to Georgia, a state that has remained at the center of his criticism since the 2020 presidential election, when he lost to then-Democratic candidate Joe Biden. Since then, the president has repeatedly questioned the integrity of the state electoral system.

During the rally, Trump again insisted on the need to strengthen election security and asked his supporters to pressure the leader of the Republican majority in the Senate, John Thune, to promote his administration's initiative that proposes stricter voting requirements throughout the country.

The president maintained that some future Republican victories “were not going to be so easy with the fraud and everything else that is happening,” reiterating statements that have been rejected by electoral authorities and supported by various recounts carried out after the 2020 elections.

Before traveling to Marietta, Trump participated in a ceremony to honor four U.S. service members killed during recent Iranian attacks in the Middle East.

Republicans express concern about the impact of his speech

Trump's return to Georgia also highlighted differences within the Republican Party itself. Some conservative leaders consider that maintaining the discourse about alleged electoral fraud could demotivate part of the Republican electorate before the legislative elections in November, in which control of Congress will be at stake.

“President Trump's supporters are less likely to turn out to vote when he sows doubt about the validity of the electoral process,” said Eric Johnson, former Georgia Senate Republican leader and state chairman of the conservative group RightCount. Electoral security has also become one of the main issues in the Senate race in Georgia. Democratic Senator Jon Ossoff is seeking re-election against Republican Representative Mike Collins, a Trump ally and advocate of tougher voting rules.

During the rally, Trump called Collins a reliable ally and harshly criticized Ossoff, whom he described as a “terrible” senator. Collins did not attend the event because he remained in Washington to participate in a legislative vote, a decision that the president publicly praised.

Although Georgia already requires official identification to vote and approved new electoral restrictions after the 2020 elections, several attendees at the rally expressed that they maintain doubts about the system. “Republicans are frustrated because they see no reason to vote because they know there will be fraud,” said Rita Rohrssen, an 80-year-old retired nurse. “But you have to vote anyway.”