Critics and legal experts are closely scrutinizing Donald Trump’s comments on serving a third term as president, raising questions about constitutional constraints and the feasibility of such a scenario. Trump’s remarks, made both before and after his 2024 presidential election win, have fueled speculation, though many Republicans dismiss them as jokes.
The 22nd Amendment of the U.S. Constitution restricts presidents to two terms, but some legal theorists have pointed out a potential loophole. The amendment specifies that presidents cannot be “elected” more than twice, which, some argue, could leave room for a third term if Trump were selected by the House of Representatives rather than elected through the traditional process.
However, this theory is untested, and its legal validity is uncertain. Former Secretary of State Dean Acheson floated a similar idea in 1960, describing it as “more unlikely than unconstitutional,” according to reports by UNILAD. Democrats in Congress have sought to close any perceived loopholes in the 22nd Amendment by introducing legislation to explicitly ban third terms.
However, such efforts have repeatedly failed. Amending the Constitution is notoriously difficult, requiring two-thirds approval in both the House and Senate and ratification by three-quarters of the states. Alternatively, two-thirds of state legislatures could call for a constitutional convention to propose a new amendment, though this has never happened in U.S. history, The Hill reports.
Trump has added fuel to the debate with comments about serving beyond two terms. During his 2024 campaign, he said, “We’re going to win four more years in the White House. And then after that, we’ll negotiate, right? Because we’re probably — based on the way we were treated — we are probably entitled to another four after that,” as reported by The Independent.
His musings about a third term date back even further. In 2018, Trump praised Chinese President Xi Jinping’s move toward a potential lifetime presidency, calling it “great” and joking that he might attempt something similar. More recently, in May 2024, Trump addressed the idea again at a National Rifle Association event, only to later deny having any serious plans to challenge the 22nd Amendment, as reported by The New York Times.
Trump has publicly stated that his focus is on serving the next four years effectively, emphasizing that he has “no interest” in pursuing a third term. However, his repeated comments have kept the idea alive, prompting both fascination and concern among supporters and critics alike.