A new poll sheds light on a hypothetical contest between President Donald Trump and former President Barack Obama. The poll suggests Obama would come out on top by a wide margin if they were allowed to run for a third term.
Recently, Trump has hinted at the possibility of running in 2028, despite the 22nd Amendment, which bars presidents from serving more than two terms. Last month, when asked about a potential face-off with Obama under the assumption that the 22nd Amendment would be changed, Trump responded, “I’d love that. Boy, I’d love that.”
However, the latest Overton Insights survey, conducted on April 2, reveals that 53% of the 1,100 registered voters polled would vote for Obama, while 47% would support Trump. For this match-up to happen, the U.S. Constitution would need to be amended, a complex process requiring approval from two-thirds of both the House and Senate, and ratification by three-fourths of state legislatures.
Despite the challenge, Trump has hinted that he may have a way around the restriction. “A lot of people want me to do it,” Trump told NBC. “But, I mean, I basically tell them we have a long way to go, you know, it’s very early in the administration.” When asked how he would achieve a third term, Trump mentioned, “There are methods [by] which you could do it.”
Trump’s lawyer, Boris Epshteyn, also stirred the conversation in 2023, claiming he had “studied the law” and believed there was a way for Trump to run for a third term, according to the Wall Street Journal.
Not everyone takes Trump’s talk of a third term seriously. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt dismissed the idea, saying, “It’s not really something we’re thinking about, he has four years. There’s a lot of work to do.” Some Congressional Republicans have laughed it off, with House Speaker Mike Johnson saying he believes Trump understands the constitutional limits.
Still, Rep. Andy Ogles of Tennessee went a step further in January, proposing an amendment to the 22nd Amendment, arguing that Trump is “the only figure in modern history capable of reversing our nation’s decay and restoring America to greatness.”
In this unlikely scenario, it’s clear that even if Trump desires a third term, he faces both legal and political hurdles.
