‘I’m not joking’: Trump gets serious about running for illegal third term
President Donald Trump is once again floating the idea of serving a third term in office—even though it’s blatantly unconstitutional.
The 22nd Amendment to the Constitution is crystal clear: “No person shall be elected to the office of the President more than twice.” But that hasn’t stopped Trump from repeatedly threatening that he might try to stay in the White House beyond January 2029, when his current term expires.
In a Sunday interview with NBC News’ Kristen Welker, Trump claimed there are “methods” to bypass the Constitution, adding that “a lot of people would like” for him to stay in power. (As polling consistently shows, this is false.)
“I’m not joking,” he insisted. “But ... it is far too early to think about it.”
He added, “My thinking is, we have a long way to go. I’m focused on the current.”
Trump has repeatedly dangled the possibility of extending his presidency past the legal limit, but it’s unlikely to sit well with voters. For one, he’ll turn 82 years old in 2028—the same age former President Joe Biden was when he left office—and Americans have shown increasing discomfort with older candidates. Even his own party isn’t on board: A February YouGov poll found that only 45% of Republicans want him to be allowed to run again.
Yet, in his interview with NBC News, Trump didn’t just entertain the idea of a third term—he hinted at ways to make it happen. When Welker asked if Vice President JD Vance could run and then hand the presidency back to Trump, he didn’t reject the idea.
“Well, that’s one,” Trump said. “But there are others too.”
When pressed to name another, he said, “No.”
And this wasn’t a one-off comment. Trump doubled down on the idea again later that evening, speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One.
“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,” he said, once again peddling baseless conspiracies about the 2020 presidential election, which he lost to Biden.
Trump seems deluded into thinking that the public loves his presidency, but polling suggests otherwise. Many of his Day One executive orders didn’t land well, and his broader agenda hasn’t won over disillusioned voters, either.
Still, his allies are laying the groundwork to keep him in power. In January, Tennessee Rep. Andy Ogles introduced a joint resolution to amend the Constitution so Trump could serve another term. And on NewsNation, longtime Trump adviser Steve Bannon hinted that he’s actively searching for ways to to make it happen.
But just as this issue has energized some on the right, it’s also galvanizing Democrats to push back against Trump’s unconstitutional ambitions. In February, New York Rep. Dan Goldman introduced a resolution seeking to affirm Congress’ commitment to the 22nd Amendment—the very law that bars Trump from seeking a third term.
On Sunday, Goldman doubled down, calling Trump’s rhetoric yet another dangerous step toward dismantling democracy.
“This is yet another escalation in his clear effort to take over the government and dismantle our democracy,” Goldman wrote on social media. “If Congressional Republicans believe in the Constitution, they will go on the record opposing Trump’s ambitions for a third term.”
Of course, it’s all unconstitutional. But Trump has never let the rule of law get in his way—especially with a Supreme Court stacked in his favor.
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