President Donald Trump has reignited controversy by suggesting he is seriously considering seeking a third term, declaring, “I’m not joking.”
In a phone interview with NBC News, Trump hinted at potential ways to circumvent the constitutional two-term limit, stating, “There are methods which you could do it.”
Later, speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One, he reinforced his claim that the 2020 election was “totally rigged,” implying that his potential third term would, in his view, actually be a fourth. However, he tempered expectations by adding, “I don’t want to talk about a third term now because no matter how you look at it, we’ve got a long time to go.”
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The 22nd Amendment, ratified in 1951 after Franklin D. Roosevelt’s four-term presidency, explicitly limits presidents to two elected terms. Legal scholars and political analysts widely dismiss any effort to remain in office beyond that limit as legally dubious. However, Trump’s remarks reflect his ongoing desire to maintain political influence and test public support for the idea.
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“This is yet another escalation in his clear effort to take over the government and dismantle our democracy,” said Rep. Daniel Goldman (D-NY), calling on Congressional Republicans to publicly oppose Trump’s statements.
While many see his comments as a political maneuver, Trump’s allies have embraced the possibility of an extended presidency. Former White House strategist Steve Bannon recently told supporters at CPAC, “We want Trump in ’28,” while Trump loyalists at a Wisconsin rally echoed their enthusiasm.
NBC’s Kristen Welker asked Trump whether one possible pathway involved Vice President JD Vance running and later “passing the baton.” Trump responded, “Well, that’s one. But there are others too.” When pressed for details, he declined to elaborate.
Election law experts argue that even the vice-presidential route wouldn’t work. The 12th Amendment bars anyone constitutionally ineligible for the presidency from serving as vice president, meaning Trump could not return to office through that strategy.
“There’s no ‘one weird trick’ to bypassing presidential term limits,” said Derek Muller, an election law professor at Notre Dame.
Any attempt to serve beyond two terms would require extraordinary buy-in from federal and state officials, as well as approval from courts and voters.
Muller and other analysts suggest Trump’s third-term talk is more about projecting strength than a serious legal challenge. “A lame-duck president like Donald Trump has every incentive to make it seem like he’s not a lame duck,” Muller explained.
Trump, who would be 82 at the end of a second term, was asked whether he still had the desire to serve in “the toughest job in the country” at that point.
“Well, I like working,” Trump responded.
He also claimed his popularity would make a third term viable, falsely asserting he had “the highest poll numbers of any Republican for the last 100 years.”
In reality, Gallup data shows President George W. Bush reached a 90% approval rating after 9/11, while his father, President George H.W. Bush, hit 89% following the Gulf War. Trump’s highest recorded approval rating was 47%.
Trump has previously joked about serving beyond two terms. At a House Republican retreat in January, he asked, “Am I allowed to run again?”
Similarly, at a Black History Month event in February, he teased the audience, “Should I run again? You tell me—there’s your controversy right there.”
The crowd responded with cheers, leaving the question open as to whether Trump’s remarks were just political theater or a real test of the limits of American democracy.
