In a recent interview with NBC News, President Trump suggested he may be open to running for a third term in office, something prohibited under the 22nd Amendment, saying there are methods to achieve this and clarifying that he is serious. “A lot of people want me to do it. But, I mean, I basically tell them we have a long way to go, you know, it’s very early in the administration. I’m focused on the current.” When asked if he wanted a third term, he simply responded, “I like working.”
When asked to clarify, the president said, “I’m not joking. But I’m not — it is far too early to think about it.” He also said that “There are methods which you could do it,” when asked if he has been presented with plans to make a third term happen. He confirmed that one possible method would be having current Vice President J.D. Vance run for office, where he would then pass the role onto Trump. Trump also added, “But there are others, too.” However, he refused to share any additional examples.
Modifying the constitution to increase the term limit would be extremely difficult, requiring either two-thirds of congress or two-thirds of the states agreeing to call a constitutional convention, where three-quarters of the states would then need to ratify the change. Trump pointed to his poll numbers, saying that a lot of people would like him to hold office for a third term. The majority of Americans disapprove of Trump’s performance in office.
Trump has previously mentioned the possibility of a third term. While the majority of Republicans brushed his comments off as jokes, others are paving the way for it. Andy Ogles, the US representative for Tennessee’s 5th congressional district, has crafted a resolution calling for an increase to the presidential term limit. Meanwhile, fellow Trump ally Steve Bannon has said that he believes Trump will run and win again in the 2028 election. He added that he also thinks “we’ll have a couple alternatives” in regards to bypassing the two-term limit.
The White House has often amplified Trump’s comments where he likens himself to royalty, posting a mock magazine depicting Trump with a crown after the administration shot down congestion pricing in New York City. The official White House Twitter/X account also made a post saying, “LONG LIVE THE KING!” quoting a prior post the president had made on Truth Social.
