WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — During a Sunday phone interview, former President Donald Trump made headlines by stating, “I’m not joking,” as he discussed the possibility of seeking a third term in office. This marked his clearest indication to date of an interest in exploring unconventional avenues to bypass the constitutional limits that currently restrict him from serving beyond his second term, which is set to end in early 2029.
Trump elaborated during his conversation with NBC News from his Mar-a-Lago estate, asserting, “There are methods which you could do it.”
He further remarked, “It is far too early to think about it.”
The 22nd Amendment, ratified in 1951 in response to President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s unprecedented four-term presidency, stipulates that “no person shall be elected to the office of the President more than twice.”
Should Trump attempt to maintain his hold on power, he would likely encounter significant legal obstacles. The seriousness of his intentions remains ambiguous. Nevertheless, his statements undeniably highlight a hunger for authority from a leader who, just four years prior, sought to overturn the electoral results favoring Democrat Joe Biden, straying from democratic principles.
In response to a query from NBC’s Kristen Welker about whether one potential pathway to a third term could involve Vice President J.D. Vance running for President and then “passing the baton” to Trump, he acknowledged, “Well, that’s one. But there are others too. There are others.”
However, when pressed for additional details, Trump simply stated, “No.”
The office of Vance has yet to respond to inquiries from the Associated Press.
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Derek Muller, a Notre Dame professor specializing in election law, pointed out that the 12th Amendment, ratified in 1804, specifies that “no person constitutionally ineligible to the office of President shall be eligible to that of Vice-President of the United States.”
Muller explained that if Trump is deemed ineligible for the presidency under the 22nd Amendment, he would also be unqualified for the Vice Presidency.
“I don’t think there’s any ‘one weird trick’ to getting around presidential term limits,” Muller stated.
Furthermore, any endeavor to pursue a third term would require unprecedented cooperation from federal and state officials, alongside the courts and the electorate.
Muller speculated that Trump’s comments regarding a third term might be politically motivated, aiming to project an image of strength.
“A lame-duck President like Donald Trump has every incentive to appear as if he’s not a lame duck,” he added.
When asked whether he would still aspire to hold “the toughest job in the country” at the age of 82, Trump responded, “Well, I like working.”
He suggested that his popularity might lead people to support a bid for a third term, incorrectly claiming to have “the highest poll numbers of any Republican in the last 100 years.”
However, Gallup data indicates that former President George W. Bush achieved a 90% approval rating after the September 11 attacks in 2001, while his father, George H.W. Bush, hit 89% following the Gulf War in 1991.
In contrast, Trump’s peak approval rating during his second term was 47% in Gallup polls, despite his claims of being “in the high 70s in many polls, in the real polls.”
Trump has previously joked about the idea of serving more than two terms, often using humor in front of supportive crowds.
“Am I allowed to run again?” he quipped during a House Republican retreat earlier this year.
Representatives for congressional leadership, including House Speaker Mike Johnson, House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries, Senate Majority Leader John Thune, and Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer, have not yet commented on the matter to the AP.
