US President Donald Trump has said he was “not joking” about considering to run for a third term at the White House – a move that would clearly breach the US Constitution, which explicitly prohibits it.
The comment, made during an interview with NBC News on Sunday, offered the plainest indication yet that Trump could try to cling to power after his second term ends at the start of 2029.
The 22nd Amendment, which has been included in the US Constitution since 1951, stipulates that “no person shall be elected to the office of the president more than twice”. This applies to both consecutive and non-consecutive terms.
In the phone interview, Trump was asked about his repeated comments about attempting to remain in office beyond his second term. He has previously indicated that he was “joking” – but this time said that this was not the case.
“Well, there are plans,” Trump told NBC News. “There are – not plans. There are methods – there are methods which you could do it, as you know.” He added: “I’m not joking”.
Speaking to reporters on Air Force One from Florida to Washington later on Sunday, he echoed his oft-repeated claim about winning the 2020 election, which he lost to Democrat Joe Biden.
“I have had more people ask me to have a third term, which in a way is a fourth term because the other election, the 2020 election was totally rigged,” Trump said.
But he then appeared to downplay his comments about seriously seeking a third term, 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.”
‘This is what dictators do’
His comments drew swift condemnation from the opposition.
“This is what dictators do,” The chair of the Democratic National Committee, Ken Martin, posted on X. “In three months, Trump has crashed the stock market and spiked costs. Now, he’s scheming for a third term instead of doing anything to make Americans’ lives better.”
It comes after Trump ally Steve Bannon said earlier this month that he believes Trump will “run and win again in 2028″.
On Sunday, Trump was asked if one way to achieve a third term was for US Vice President JD Vance to run for the presidency and “then pass the baton to you”.
“Well, that’s one,” Trump responded. “But there are others too. There are others.” When asked to name another, Trump refused.
However, Notre Dame election law professor Derek Muller told the AP that the 12th Amendment also states that Trump would be ineligible to run for the vice presidency following his second term as well.
“I don’t think there’s any ‘one weird trick’ to getting around presidential term limits,” Muller said.
