Is a Trump third term possible? – The Cauldron
President Donald Trump has repeatedly made remarks about running for a third term—comments that many of his supporters have dismissed as jokes. However, in an exclusive interview with NBC News, Trump stated that he’s completely serious.
“I like working,” Trump said when asked if he wanted another term. “I’m not joking.”
Earlier this year, Republican Rep. Andy Ogles of Tennessee introduced a Joint Resolution in Congress to amend the 22nd Amendment, which currently prohibits a president from serving more than two terms.
The proposed resolution states:
“No person shall be elected to the office of the President more than three times, nor be elected to any additional term after being elected to two consecutive terms, and no person who has held the office of President, or acted as President, for more than two years of a term to which some other person was elected President shall be elected to the office of the President more than twice.”
The resolution would allow the president to serve a third term if their previous two terms weren’t consecutive, allowing Trump to run again while leaving former presidents like Barack Obama and Bill Clinton illegible.
Following this proposal, a group of Trump loyalists began putting up posters promoting a third term for the current president. These posters read: “Third Term Project—Trump! Trump! Trump! For Trump 2028… And Beyond!”
The phrase “2028 and beyond” raises some concerns, as it suggests advocacy for Trump remaining in power beyond a third term.
This aligns with a controversial remark Trump made at a Washington rally in 2024: “In four years, you don’t have to vote again. We’ll have it fixed so good, you’re not gonna have to vote.”
Many interpreted this statement as a threat to overturn the democratic process. Trump has never clarified what he meant.
When NBC asked if Trump had a plan to allow him to seek a third term, Trump said, “There are methods which you could do it.”
One approach involves the 2028 Republican presidential nominee selecting Trump as his vice-presidential running mate, then stepping down after the election to transfer power to him. However, the 12th Amendment prohibits anyone who is ineligible to serve as president to become vice president.
According to experts, the only legal way for Trump to run for a third term would be to amend the Constitution. This process would require either a two-thirds majority vote in both the House of Representatives and the Senate, or a constitutional convention called by two-thirds of the state legislatures. Any proposed amendment would then need to be ratified by three-fourths of the states.