Special Poll
In an interview on Sunday, former President Donald Trump said he would not seek a third term if he is re-elected, despite the fact that such a move is barred by the Constitution.
When asked by “Meet the Press” moderator Kristen Welker if there was “any scenario” where he would seek a third term, Trump said no. He also criticized Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, a potential rival in the 2024 Republican presidential primary, for saying that he would need eight years in office to accomplish his goals.
“Anybody that says they need eight years, you don’t want that person,” Trump said. “In six months to a year, many of the problems, almost all of the problems that you and I have just spoken about will be solved.”
Trump’s comments come as he is preparing to launch a campaign for re-election in 2024. He is currently the frontrunner for the GOP nomination, leading the vast majority of national and state level polls by double digits.
Some legal experts have raised questions about whether Trump would be eligible to run for a third term, even if he wanted to. The 22nd Amendment to the Constitution states that “No person shall be elected to the office of the President more than twice.” However, it does not explicitly address the question of whether someone who has served two non-consecutive terms is eligible to run again.
Trump has argued that he is eligible to run for a third term, and he has even hinted that he might do so if he thought it was necessary. However, his comments on Sunday suggest that he is not seriously considering running for a third term, even if he is re-elected in 2024.
Trump’s decision not to seek a third term, if it is sincere, would be a major departure from precedent. Only one person in American history, Grover Cleveland, has served two non-consecutive terms as president.
If Trump is re-elected in 2024, he would be the first president since Cleveland to leave office after only one term. This would be a significant break from the recent trend of presidents serving two terms.
It is unclear why Trump has decided to rule out a third term. It is possible that he is simply being realistic about his chances of re-election. He is already 76 years old, and he would be 82 years old at the end of a third term. Additionally, he is facing a number of legal challenges, and it is possible that he could be indicted or even convicted of a crime before the 2024 election.
Another possibility is that Trump is simply not interested in serving a third term. He has already accomplished a great deal in his first term, and he may be looking forward to moving on to other things. Whatever his reasons, Trump’s decision not to seek a third term is a significant development in the 2024 presidential race.