Despite the constitutional prohibition against serving more than two terms, former U.S. President Donald Trump has suggested that there are “methods” he could use to seek a third term in office.
Exploring Loopholes for a Third Term
In a phone interview with NBC News’ Kristen Welker, Trump stated that many people want him to run again but that he is currently focused on the present. When pressed on whether he had a strategy to bypass the 22nd Amendment, which limits presidents to two terms, he hinted at potential options.
“There are methods by which you could do it,” Trump said.
Welker mentioned a possible scenario in which his vice president, JD Vance, could run in 2028 and then pass the leadership back to Trump. Trump acknowledged this as a possibility but implied that other options exist.
“Well, that’s one. But there are others,” Trump remarked, declining to elaborate.
A History of Third-Term References
Trump has repeatedly alluded to the idea of serving beyond two terms. At a rally in Nevada earlier this year, he joked about serving “not once, not twice, but maybe three or four times.” While some dismissed his remarks as humor, he later emphasized, “No, it will be two terms. For the next four years, I won’t stop.”
The 22nd Amendment, ratified in 1951, explicitly bars any individual from being elected president more than twice. Any attempt to serve a third term would require significant legal and constitutional challenges.
