Many critics have said Donald Trump is committed to remaining in power, especially after his 2024 presidential election win. He has also discussed his potential to serve a historic third term, but several Republicans dismiss it as a joke. The 22nd Amendment claims that presidents can only get a maximum of two terms in office, but there might be a constitutional loophole that would allow Trump to run for a third term. However, this scenario is not easy and would require overcoming numerous legal and political barriers.
Legal experts argue that the wording of the 22nd Amendment, which specifies ‘elected,’ may technically permit the House of Representatives to select Trump for a third term. However, the validity of this unproven notion is unknown as it has never been challenged. The former secretary of state, Dean Acheson, proposed a similar concept in 1960. However, as reported by UNILAD , he said, “It may be more unlikely than unconstitutional.”
Democrats in Congress have repeatedly pushed for legislation to firmly close any loopholes in the 22nd Amendment, ensuring it bans a third presidential term. Numerous attempts to make changes to the 22nd Amendment have been made over the years, but none of them have ever worked in favor. The National Constitution Center states that to repeal an amendment, a new one must be passed, which requires the backing of two-thirds of the House and Senate, but The Hill reports that this is still a difficult procedure. Another method, though highly unlikely, would be if two-thirds of state legislatures called for a constitutional convention to create a new amendment; but three-quarters of the states would still need to approve it.
Meanwhile, Trump made several comments about the third term during his 2024 campaign. As reported by The Independent , back in 2022, he said, “We’re going to win four more years in the White House . And then after that, we’ll negotiate, right? Because we’re probably — based on the way we were treated — we are probably entitled to another four after that.”
Furthermore, back in 2018, Trump raised eyebrows when he praised Chinese President Xi Jinping’s move toward a potential lifetime term in office, calling it ‘great’ and quipping that maybe he’d try something similar one day. Then, in May this year, Trump again spoke about whether his administration might explore a third term when speaking to the National Rifle Association, as reported by The New York Times . Nevertheless, when further pressed about the matter, he contrasted his statements by denying having any intentions to seek a third presidential term. According to Trump, his primary goals are to serve his next four years and do what he called a ‘great job.’ He declared that he had no interest in challenging the 22nd Amendment.