President Donald Trump occasionally speaks more freely than even his closest advisers would like, usually right before sunrise. No teleprompter. No political script with precise weights. All you need is instinct, impulse, and that old showman’s talent for leaving the impossible hanging in front of a crowd long enough for them to fantasize about it.
It was one of those mornings when Trump chose to reveal his most recent headline while seated across from the CNBC hosts and beaming with confidence over what he claimed were historic economic victories. It has nothing to do with tariffs. Not the border. However, the question is whether four years in office will be sufficient for a man who maintains that he is only “getting started.”
“Unless I Run Once More.”
The remarks were made on Tuesday during a comprehensive business interview on Squawk Box, in which Trump boasted of factory openings, market record-breaking results, and, according to him, the “highest vote ever recorded in Texas.” “Such a record might just last forever,” he said with a sly smile. He teased, letting the words linger in the studio atmosphere, “unless I run again.”
Seeing an opportunity, co-host Becky Quick leaned in.
“Will you run once more?”
The president laughed. “No, probably not.”
That denial sounded casual, almost contemptuous, but then the Trump rhythm returned. “I want to run,” he said hastily. “My polling numbers are the best they’ve ever been. People adore the trade agreements, the tariffs, and the fact that other nations aren’t taking advantage of us.
