The constitution currently prevents this
Donald Trump has said he was ‘not joking’ about the possibility of running for a third term as US President, despite the constitution saying he can’t.
He has previously made a number of comments suggesting a third term could be on the cards, as he quipped ‘am I allowed to run again?’ in January of this year.
Just last month he asked supporters: “Should I run again? You tell me.”
Days after Trump’s second inauguration, a Republican politician, andy Ogles, began promoting an amendment that would change the rules in the US constitution that prevent a president from running for more than two terms.
Ogles amendment would change that rule to three terms and no more than two consecutive terms in office, which would mean Trump could run in 2028.
The amendment is unlikely to have sufficient support to pass as it’d need two-thirds in the House of Representatives and the Senate, as well as the thumbs up from at least 38 of the 50 states.
However, it is a sign that a potential third term for Trump is being worked on by some members of his party.
In a recent interview with NBC, Trump clarified that he was ‘not joking’ when he talked about the possibility of a third term.
He said: “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.”
He told the outlet that he ‘liked working’. When he was asked to clarify his comments he said, ‘I’m not joking,’ adding that ‘it is far too early to think about it’.
He suggested that there are ‘methods which you could do it’ before the outlet then explored these options with the 47th President.
He was asked whether his Vice President JD Vance could run in 2028 and then surrender the presidency to Trump, the current White House incumbent said ‘that’s one’ before adding ‘but there are others, too’.
The news outlet suggested another method he could use which he quickly shut down.
The two term limit started off as an unofficial precedent first set by George Washington, who decided to step down and not seek re-election after two terms in office.
His successor John Adams failed to win a second term but Thomas Jefferson also decided to step down after two terms which became the example to follow.
In 1940, Franklin D Roosevelt ran for a third term and won, and in 1944 he ran again, securing a fourth term.
However, in 1945 he died and afterwards, the 22nd Amendment was passed preventing anyone else from being elected to the White House for a third term.
