Donald Trump joked on Wednesday that he may be interested in serving 10 to 14 more years, despite the fact that the Constitution limits him to two terms for a total of no more than eight years. Trump has made the same joke several times throughout his presidency.
As Yahoo! News reports, Trump spent much of Wednesday taking shots at The New York Times after the paper had devoted much of its recent coverage to race relations in America. He then suggested the paper would go out of business once he’s no longer president.
However, he indicated that the time when he’s no longer president could be a decade or more away.
“Let me tell you. In six years – or maybe 10 or maybe 14, right? – in six years, when I’m not here, the New York Times goes out of business very quickly.”
Writer Tom Embury-Dennis said the remark was likely in jest. However, it’s not the first time in his presidency that Trump has joked that he may stay in office longer than what the Constitution allows.
For example, back in 2018, as CNN reported at the time, Trump expressed admiration for Chinese President Xi Jinping, whom he noted as “president for life.” Trump then joked that he would enjoy that honor as well.
“President for life… I think it’s great. Maybe we’ll have to give that a shot some day,” he said at the time.
Trump calls China’s Xi “a good man” in a “tough business” as tensions escalate in Hong Kong https://t.co/Pg4GUFpGvD pic.twitter.com/7FNhnwWyvO
— The Hill (@thehill) August 15, 2019
Similarly, in June he tweeted a gif that suggested he’ll be in office well into the next century.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 21, 2019
Furthermore, in July he repeated the “10-14 years” idea, writing, “When I ultimately leave office in six years, or maybe 10 or 14 (just kidding)…”
The Constitution’s 22nd Amendment limits the president to two terms in office for a total of eight years, although it is theoretically possible for a president to serve up to 10 years. However, none of the pre-requisites for that to happen apply to Donald Trump.
So is Donald Trump just joking when he says he’ll be president beyond what the Constitution allows? Or does he really have designs on ignoring the Constitution and staying on as president for longer?
That is, of course, known only to him. But CNN writer Chris Cillizza suggested in 2018 that Trump’s apparent fondness for dictators — including the lack of limitations on how long they can stay in office — is concerning. “The moral question — should the most powerful person in a country be able to decide how long he or she serves — is entirely lost on Trump,” Cillizza writes.