Former US President Donald Trump has stated that he is serious about the idea of seeking a third presidential term, despite the constitutional limit barring it. However, he acknowledged that it is too soon to give it serious thought.
“No, I’m not joking. I’m not joking,” Trump told NBC News in a telephone interview on Sunday. “It is far too early to think about it.”
Trump, who was inaugurated on January 20 for a second, non-consecutive term in the White House, has made previous references to a potential third run, sometimes in a way that appeared to provoke his political opponents. When pressed on how he could pursue another term, he vaguely suggested there were “methods,” but declined to elaborate.
Under the 22nd Amendment to the US Constitution, presidents are limited to two four-year terms, whether served consecutively or not. Overturning this amendment would require a two-thirds vote in both houses of Congress and ratification by three-fourths of US state legislatures—a daunting political challenge.
The only US president to serve more than two terms was Franklin D. Roosevelt, who won a third term in 1940 and was re-elected to a fourth before his death in 1945. His unprecedented tenure led to the adoption of term limits in 1951.
Some Trump allies have floated the idea of keeping him in office beyond 2028. Steve Bannon, a longtime adviser, recently suggested that efforts are underway to challenge the interpretation of term limits.
“We’re working on it,” Bannon said in a March 19 interview.
If Trump were to seek another term in 2028, he would be 82 years old at the time of inauguration. While the legal path to a third term remains unclear, his comments signal that the idea is not entirely off the table.
Melissa Enoch
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