Donald Trump’s recent statement about being able to run for a third term as president has caused a lot of backlash, with many people criticizing the idea. Some even warned that he might try to pursue it, despite the U.S. Constitution clearly saying it’s not allowed.
David Jolly, a former Republican congressman, told MSNBC, “The biggest mistake of the last eight years is that we somehow failed to give credibility to Donald Trump’s whims and impulses, but we know it’s true. January 6 was a perfect example. If he says he’s not ruling it out, then he’s not ruling it out, and we should consider it a constitutional threat.”
When asked about the possibility of staying in office for a third term on NBC’s Meet the Press Sunday, Trump responded, “Well, there are plans. A lot of people want me to do it.”
According to the 22nd Amendment of the Constitution, “No person shall be elected to the office of the president more than twice,” which means Trump can’t legally run for a third term. However, he has hinted in the past that he might try, even calling himself a “king” recently.
John Dean, a lawyer who worked for President Nixon, noted that there has been some talk about a possible way around the rule. Some of Trump’s supporters have suggested that a president who is limited to two terms could run for vice president and take the top job if the new president steps down.
“There’s always been talk about this,” Dean told CNN, pointing out that some people thought former President Barack Obama should run for a third term, though Obama himself said he wouldn’t try to bypass the Constitution.
Democrats have criticized Trump for his comments, saying they resemble the behavior of dictators.
Ken Martin, chair of the Democratic National Committee, said, “This is what dictators do. In three months, Trump has crashed the stock market and spiked costs. Now, he’s scheming for a third term instead of doing anything to make Americans’ lives better.”
Democratic Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett also posted on social media, saying, “The Constitution isn’t optional, sir. This isn’t a reality show – it’s reality.”
While most Republicans have rejected the idea of a third term for Trump, a few have supported it. For instance, in January, Tennessee Republican Congressman Andy Ogles introduced a resolution suggesting the Constitution be amended to allow a president to serve up to three terms, as long as they don’t serve two consecutive terms. Trump won the 2016 election, lost in 2020 to Joe Biden, and won again last year.
However, the chances of such an amendment passing are very slim. It would need a two-thirds vote in both houses of Congress and approval from three-quarters of state legislatures.
On Sunday, Republican Senator John Curtis dismissed the idea of a Trump third term with a laugh, saying, “I wouldn’t have supported a third term for George Washington. That’s a no.”
