Donald Trump once again suggested he might attempt a third run at president in 2028 despite the Constitution only allowing two terms in office per candidate.
Trump hinted at the possibility on Thursday during a speech at the Washington Hilton for a National Prayer Breakfast event.
Early in his remarks, the president said he was told he could have made his speech via Skype but insisted on being with attendees in person.
“I want to be here with you. And I have been here with you,” he said. ”And I do that despite the fact that they say I can’t run again.”
He then mocked the suggestion that the law might keep him from a third term, sarcastically saying, “Oooh!”
You can hear Trump’s remarks below, beginning around the two-minute mark.
Although some people might interpret Trump’s comments as a joke, he has been squawking about getting a third term in office since at least 2020.
He even pressed the matter during a Jan. 28 address at the Congressional Institute’s retreat for House Republicans, where he asked House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.), “Am I allowed to run again, Mike?” before quipping, “I better not get you involved in that argument.”
A hypothetical third Trump term ― which again, isn’t allowed by the Constitution’s 22nd Amendment ― has gotten support from Republicans like Rep. Andy Ogles (R-Tenn.), who, last month, introduced an amendment that would allow Trump to run for a third term and ensure “we can sustain the bold leadership our nation so desperately needs.”
Meanwhile, Rep. Dan Goldman (D-N.Y.) told MSNBC’s Chris Hayes in November that Trump’s remarks about running for a third term are “very intentionally designed to soften the response and then to normalize his unconstitutional and anti-democratic goals.”
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Politico suggested last month that there are four ways Trump could theoretically be allowed a third term in office:
- Generate a movement to directly repeal the 22nd Amendment.
- Exploit a possible loophole in the amendment that allows him to run for vice president with someone else as their running mate who immediately resigns and lets Trump lead.
- Run again regardless of the Constitution’s rules, figuring that the 6-3 conservative majority Supreme Court will support him no matter what.
- Just simply refuse to leave the White House after his term ends.
However, Mediaite noted that the second option mentioned by Politico is “incorrect” since the 12th Amendment clearly states that “no person constitutionally ineligible to the office of President shall be eligible to that of Vice-President of the United States.”