Special Poll
President Donald Trump has recently reignited speculation about seeking a third term in office, despite the clear restriction outlined in the U.S. Constitution. For months, he and his allies have made subtle and not-so-subtle references to the idea, but now the former president has gone on record saying he’s “not joking” about the possibility of staying in office beyond two terms.
The 22nd Amendment, ratified in 1951 following President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s unprecedented four terms, explicitly prohibits anyone from being elected president more than twice. Yet Trump appears to be exploring alternative interpretations and potential legal strategies to challenge or circumvent this constitutional safeguard. In an interview, he suggested that there may be “methods” by which he could serve a third term though he did not elaborate.
Constitutional scholars say they’re taking his comments seriously. Although amending the Constitution would require a long and difficult process either two-thirds of both chambers of Congress plus ratification by three-fourths of the states, or a constitutional convention initiated by two-thirds of the states Trump seems undeterred. While his communications team insists it’s “too early” to discuss a third term formally, the rhetoric suggests otherwise.
Some legal experts warn that such statements are not just political bravado. They highlight a potential scenario involving a vice presidential loophole. Trump has floated the idea of flipping the ticket, running as vice president under a loyalist like J.D. Vance. If they win and Vance steps down shortly after inauguration, Trump could then resume the presidency, effectively achieving a third term without being directly elected again.
This idea hinges on the wording of the 22nd Amendment, which bars someone from being elected more than twice but doesn’t explicitly forbid them from serving again through succession. Scholars point out that this tactic would immediately invite legal challenges, likely reaching the Supreme Court. Some also cite the 12th Amendment, which states that no person ineligible to serve as president can be vice president either possibly disqualifying Trump from the VP role in the first place.
Despite skepticism from some congressional Republicans who dismiss the idea as “fantastical,” others aren’t so quick to brush it off. Given Trump’s track record of pushing constitutional boundaries, there’s a growing concern that he might seriously attempt to rewrite or outright ignore existing legal limitations.
There’s even quiet chatter among some political circles that Trump could go further and attempt to initiate changes to the Constitution itself through a more radical path, such as pressuring states into calling for a constitutional convention. Though it’s a long shot, the very idea that a former president would entertain altering the foundational structure of American democracy is enough to stir debate and alarm.
Legal analysts say the real question is what might happen if Trump refuses to accept the constitutional limit and pushes forward with a third-term strategy. If he believes, rightly or wrongly, that the Constitution doesn’t apply to him in this case, the nation could be faced with a constitutional crisis. And the bigger question looming over it all remains: if that happens who, exactly, would stop him?