Rerun

promise

The recurring "in two weeks"

You're probably here because of the Mar 2026 rerun. This is the 10th time since 2017 this has been promised. The previous rerun was Jan 2026.

About this story

Starting early in his first term, Donald Trump often said a decision, plan or announcement would come in "two weeks" (sometimes "two or three weeks"). He used the phrase for taxes, infrastructure, the Paris climate accord, health care, Russia and Ukraine, Iran, TikTok and Greenland. News reviews by Bloomberg (2017), NBC News and NPR (2025) list many of these statements and found that the promised items often came months later or not at all. Some did arrive early: the June 2025 decision to strike Iran came two days later. No source found shows the phrase as a habit before 2016.

Sources: 1, 2

20162026

Mar 2026 – Apr 2026 When the Iran war would end

On March 31, 2026, a reporter asked Trump whether the U.S. would be done with the Iran war in two weeks. He replied "I think two or three weeks" and said the job would take "maybe two weeks, maybe a couple of days longer" (CBS, Poynter/PolitiFact, Euronews). In his April 1 national address he said the U.S. would hit Iran "extremely hard over the next two to three weeks" (CBS). At that point the war, which started Feb. 28, was in its fifth week, and Trump's first projection had been "four to five weeks" (CBS). The war did not end within the promised window. Trump announced a two-week suspension of bombing on April 7. CBS wrote on June 11 that "ending the war has proven elusive," and Poynter/PolitiFact described the conflict as "seven months" old on Oct. 6.

  • euronews.com article
    within maybe two weeks, maybe a couple of days longer to do the job
  • cbsnews.com article
    We are going to hit them extremely hard over the next two to three weeks.

Sources: euronews.com reliable · cbsnews.com reliable · poynter.org needs a second source

Jan 2026 Greenland deal details

On Jan. 21, 2026, Trump announced on Truth Social a "framework of a future deal with respect to Greenland" (HuffPost). On Jan. 22, a reporter on Air Force One asked what the concept was and whether the U.S. would take ownership. Trump replied, "We'll have something in two weeks," and Mediaite and the Independent both linked this to his earlier "two weeks" promises (Mediaite; Independent via AOL). That same day, CNN reported that no written document recorded the framework, and a White House spokeswoman said details "will be released accordingly" once finalized. A MaddowBlog post from about July 2026, roughly six months later, said the White House had never released any more information about the "framework" (MS NOW); that claim covers roughly January to July 2026. As a later development, not the promise being kept, the U.S., Denmark and Greenland signed an agreement expanding the U.S. military presence on Sept. 22, 2026 (CNBC), about eight months after the remark.

  • mediaite.com article
    "We'll have something in two weeks," Trump replied, invoking a well-worn timeline he has put forth on a myriad of occasions.
  • aol.com article
    Donald Trump says that he'll give more details on his Greenland deal with Europe in "two weeks," reviving an oft-given timeline from his first term.

Sources: mediaite.com needs a second source · CNN reliable · ms.now needs a second source · cnbc.com reliable

Aug 2025 – Sep 2025 Putin again

On Aug. 22, 2025, Trump told reporters in the Oval Office that "over the next two weeks" they would find out "which way it's going to go." He said he would then decide whether to impose "massive sanctions or massive tariffs or both," or do nothing (Anadolu Agency). CNN reported that he was giving Putin "a couple of weeks," which pushed back his deadline for possible consequences against Moscow again. On Sept. 4, Military Times reported that the two-week deadline had ended "with Russia showing no signs of stopping the violence." On Sept. 2, HuffPost reported that Putin had faced none of the "severe consequences" Trump had promised over several deadlines.

  • CNN article
    I think in two weeks, we'll know which way I'm going, because I'm going to go one way or the other, and they'll learn which way.
  • aa.com.tr article
    that's whether or not it's massive sanctions or massive tariffs or both, or do we do nothing and say it's your fight?
  • HuffPost article
    a favorite time frame for Trump for any number of other goals that also have never come to pass
  • youtube.com video

Sources: CNN reliable · aa.com.tr needs a second source · militarytimes.com needs a second source · HuffPost needs a second source

Jun 2025 Decision on striking Iran

On June 19, 2025, press secretary Karoline Leavitt read reporters a statement she said came directly from Trump: he would decide whether to strike Iran "within the next two weeks," citing a chance of negotiations. The next day, an NBC News review reported he had promised action "in two weeks" over a dozen times in the previous two months. On Saturday, June 21, Trump posted that the U.S. had completed strikes on three Iranian nuclear sites: Fordow, Natanz and Esfahan. PBS reported this was two days after Leavitt's statement. So unlike most reruns of this story, the decision arrived well inside the two weeks.

  • NPR article
    I will make my decision whether or not to go within the next two weeks
  • nbcconnecticut.com article
    Trump has promised action on questions or decisions in “two weeks” over a dozen times in the last two months, according to an NBC News review
  • NPR article
    We have completed our very successful attack on the three Nuclear sites in Iran, including Fordow, Natanz, and Esfahan,
  • c-span.org video Watch
    I will make my decision whether or not to go within the next two weeks

Sources: NPR reliable · Al Jazeera reliable · nbcconnecticut.com needs a second source · Public Broadcasting Service reliable

May 2025 – Jun 2025 Russia and Ukraine, "I'll let you know in about two weeks"

On May 28, 2025, a reporter asked Trump whether Putin wanted to end the war. He said, "I'll let you know in about two weeks." He added that it would take "about a week and a half, two weeks" to find out whether Putin was "tapping us along" (CNN, NBC News, Kyiv Post). CNN listed earlier two-week answers on Ukraine: April 24 (on continued military aid), three days later (on whether he trusted Putin), and May 19 (on whether Ukraine was doing enough). CNN also reported that Trump had "so far, stopped short of imposing sanctions or taking other action." On June 14, the Kyiv Independent reported that Trump "has so far taken no action" against Russia's escalating attacks, even though he had hinted at new sanctions.

  • CNN article
    Since at least the end of April, President Donald Trump has been telling reporters he will decide what to do in Ukraine in two weeks
  • kyivpost.com article
    I can't tell you that, but I'll let you know in about two weeks, within two weeks
  • kyivindependent.com article
    Trump has so far taken no action against the ongoing escalation of violence by Moscow's forces.
  • youtube.com video

Sources: CNN reliable · NBC News reliable · kyivindependent.com needs a second source · NPR reliable

Jul 2020 – Aug 2020 A "full and complete health care plan"

In a Fox News Sunday interview aired July 19, 2020, Trump said, "We're signing a health care plan within two weeks, a full and complete health care plan." On Aug. 1, as the two weeks were set to expire on Sunday, Aug. 2, the Washington Post reported "there is no evidence that the administration has designed a replacement" for the Affordable Care Act. On July 31 Trump had said "Might be Sunday." On Aug. 3 he said the plan would come "hopefully, prior to the end of the month." On Aug. 7, KFF Health News reported, he said he would pursue an executive order within two weeks requiring insurers to cover pre-existing conditions. MSNBC reported on Aug. 31 that no plan had been unveiled, and Yahoo News reported in January 2021 that no Trump health care plan was ever released.

  • kffhealthnews.org article
    We're signing a health care plan within two weeks, a full and complete health care plan that the Supreme Court decision on DACA gave me the right to do.
  • The Washington Post article
    Now, with the two weeks expiring Sunday, there is no evidence that the administration has designed a replacement for the 2010 health-care law.
  • kffhealthnews.org article
    requiring health insurance companies to cover all preexisting conditions for all customers.
  • youtube.com video

Sources: The Washington Post reliable · kffhealthnews.org needs a second source · NBC News reliable · Yahoo News reliable

Jun 2017 – ongoing Bloomberg's 'everything's coming in two weeks' roundup (infrastructure, tax, Paris, ISIS)

Axios, summarizing Bloomberg's roundup, listed Trump statements in 2017 that gave short deadlines: a tax announcement "over the next two or three weeks" (Feb. 9); infrastructure "in two weeks" (April 5) and "over the next two or three weeks — maybe sooner" (April 29); a Paris accord decision "over the next two weeks" (April 29); and an ISIS news conference "in about two weeks" (May 21). By June 6, the tax plan had been unveiled on April 26, about two months after the February promise (NPR). The Paris withdrawal was announced June 1, more than a month after the promise (NPR, Axios). Per NPR, the infrastructure plan did not come out until February 2018.

  • Bloomberg article
    A big announcement is coming in just “two weeks.” It rarely does.
  • Axios article
    We're going to make an announcement in two weeks.
  • Bloomberg broadcast

Sources: Bloomberg reliable · Axios reliable · NPR reliable · NBC News reliable

Apr 2017 Paris climate accord decision "in about two weeks"

In an interview published April 27–28, 2017, Trump told Reuters he would announce "in about two weeks" whether the US would stay in the Paris climate agreement. On April 29, at his 100-days rally, he said: "I will be making a big decision on the Paris Accord over the next two weeks." On May 27, Trump tweeted "I will make my final decision on the Paris Accord next week!" On June 6, Axios wrote that "the Paris decision took more than a month."

  • fortune.com article
    told Reuters in an interview he would announce his decision “in about two weeks,”
  • rollcall.com statement
    I will be making a big decision on the Paris Accord over the next two weeks.
  • CNN article
    President Donald Trump said Saturday he will decide the future of the United States' role in the Paris climate accord over the next two weeks.

Sources: fortune.com reliable · CNN reliable · Axios reliable · globalnews.ca needs a second source

Mar 2017 Wiretapping "interesting items"

On March 15, 2017, Trump said in a Fox News interview with Tucker Carlson that "you're going to find some very interesting items coming to the forefront over the next two weeks," backing up his March 4 tweets that Obama had his "wires tapped" in Trump Tower. That same day, Nunes said, "We don't have any evidence that that took place." On March 20, Comey told the committee, "I have no information that supports those tweets," and said the Justice Department had none either. On March 22, Nunes said transition members' communications had been "incidentally collected." He said this was unrelated to Russia, and the next day his spokesperson said Nunes did not know "for sure" whether Trump or his associates were in the intercepted communications.

  • slate.com article
    I think you’re going to find some very interesting items coming to the forefront over the next two weeks.
  • NPR article
    He also said in the interview that he expects "some very interesting items coming to the forefront over the next two weeks."
  • goodmorningamerica.com article
    Trump, asked that day whether he felt "vindicated by Chairman Nunes," said, “I somewhat do.
  • youtube.com video
    transcript
    I think you're going to find some very interesting items coming to the forefront over the next two weeks.

Sources: PolitiFact reliable · NPR reliable · goodmorningamerica.com needs a second source · Axios reliable

Feb 2017 A "phenomenal" tax plan

On Feb. 9, 2017, at a White House meeting with U.S. airline executives, Trump said "something… phenomenal in terms of tax" would be announced "over the next two or three weeks" (CNBC). Bloomberg reported that Trump gave no details, and that Press Secretary Sean Spicer said specifics would come in the coming weeks. NPR reports that the administration unveiled its tax overhaul on April 26, 2017, more than two months later, and that Trump signed it into law after Congress passed it in late December. In June 2017, Axios, summarizing a Bloomberg analysis, put this statement first in its list of Trump's "two weeks" timelines.

  • cnbc.com article
    we're going to announce something I would say over the next two or three weeks that will be phenomenal in terms of tax
  • Bloomberg article
    Trump offered no details
  • euronews.com article
    President Trump's promise of a "phenomenal" tax plan in the next few weeks boosted the dollar and US shares.

Sources: cnbc.com reliable · Bloomberg reliable · NPR reliable · Axios reliable