Donald Trump Hints at Possibility of Third Term

By: Iyaari King

In an exclusive interview with NBC News, Trump said that there were methods for achieving a  third term and further clarified that he was “not joking.”  

“A lot of people want me to do it,” Trump stated in a phone call with NBC News on Sunday  morning.  

Amendment 22 from the Constitution established term limits for the Presidency and was ratified  on February 27th, 1951. 

The amendment states “No person shall be elected to the office of the President more than twice,  and no person who has held the office of president.... for more than two years of a term in which  some other person was elected President shall be elected to the office of President more than  once.”  

According to NBC, Trump said that he was focused on his second term for now but embraces  suggestions from his allies to return after the election in 2028.  

His actions before, during and following the 2024 election include plenty of examples of getting  around the constitution. Just short of a year ago, the Supreme Court removed a constitutional  provision which allowed Trump to run despite the 14th amendment’s clause disqualifying  insurrectionists.  

When asked her opinion on a possible third term for Trump, first year Hampton University  criminal justice major Janareah McDaniel said:

 “The fact that he’s allowed to continuously  disregard the constitution like that is shocking and not surprising at the same time. I hope that he  is not allowed a third term but at this point it’s possible and that’s... terrifying.” 

In terms of methods to gaining a third term, there are three options for Trump to choose.  According to New Republic, one of the methods that his supporters are speculating about would  include JD Vance running with Trump as his running mate and then resigning, automatically  elevating Trump to the Presidency. 

Though all of these methods involve some sort of manipulation or violation of aspects of the  constitution, Trump seems open to trying his luck regardless of the possible consequences.  

According to David A. Super, a law and economics professor at Georgetown University told New Republic, the idea  of a loophole being a possible method of achieving a second term is “implausible,” mainly due to  its clear “misinterpretation” of the 12th amendment.  

Any attempt at repealing the 22nd amendment would require an extreme amount of difficulty, law  professor at the University of Pennsylvania Kermit Roosevelt told factcheck.org.