Trump once again hints at the possibility of running for a third presidential term
US President Donald Trump confirmed on Sunday that he isn’t joking about the possibility of seeking a third presidential term, despite the US Constitution explicitly prohibiting it, while noting that it’s still too early to decide on the matter.
Trump, who returned to the White House on January 20 to begin his second term, had previously hinted indirectly at the possibility of running for a third term.
This time, however, he addressed the issue explicitly during a phone interview with NBC News, saying, “No, I’m not kidding… I’m not kidding,” adding, “But it’s too early to think about it”.
“There are ways to do it, you know,” Trump continued, without clarifying what he meant or providing details of any potential mechanisms to achieve this.
According to the 22nd Amendment to the US Constitution, presidents are limited to two terms of four years each, whether consecutive or non-consecutive.
This amendment, ratified on February 27, 1951, limits the term of a president-elect.
This restriction is based on a historical precedent set by George Washington, the first president of the United States, who voluntarily stepped down after two presidential terms.
This became a custom adhered to by all presidents who followed him, until the election of Franklin Roosevelt, who broke with this tradition and was elected to four consecutive terms between 1932 and 1944.
Following Roosevelt’s death in 1945, Congress sought to limit the number of presidential terms.
The House of Representatives proposed a constitutional amendment in 1947, which was reviewed by the Senate, sent to the states for ratification, and finally passed in 1951.
Therefore, Trump isn’t eligible to run for a third term in the 2028 elections under this amendment.
Trump is the second US president to win two non-consecutive terms, after Grover Cleveland, who held office between 1885 and 1889, and then returned to it from 1893 to 1897.
