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During a phone conversation with NBC News on Sunday, Donald Trump mentioned he wasn’t kidding about considering a third term. He hinted at finding “methods” to sidestep the constitutional restriction that prevents US presidents from being elected three times.
While Trump admitted it was “far too early to think about it,” he did confirm he’s playing with the idea. “A lot of people want me to do it,” said Trump, who is now 78. “But I generally tell them we’ve got a long road ahead; after all, it’s still quite early in the administration.”
The 22nd amendment of the US Constitution is clear on this: “No person shall be elected to the office of the President more than twice.” Despite this, Trump suggested that there are ways around it.
For Trump to run for a third term, it would require a two-thirds majority vote in Congress or a constitutional convention called by two-thirds of the states. Andy Ogles, a Republican Congressman from Tennessee, has put forward the idea of amending the 22nd amendment to permit Trump another run. However, this move lacks sufficient political traction both in Congress and among the states.
Trump has often joked publicly about the idea of a third term, and these comments, while seemingly far-fetched, serve two purposes: trolling Democrats and fending off the “lame duck” label for his second term.
When questioned about whether Vice President JD Vance might take the presidency in 2028 and then hand it over to Trump, the former president acknowledged that’s one possibility but hinted there are “others, too.”
Steve Bannon, who was Trump’s chief strategist for part of his first term, has confidently suggested that Trump “will run and win again in 2028.”
