Despite constitutional limit, Trump says he's seeking a way to serve 3rd presidential term

The Associated Press

· Posted: Mar 30, 2025 3:53 PM EDT | Last Updated: 6 minutes ago

U.S. President Donald Trump said connected Sunday that "I'm not joking" astir trying to service a 3rd term, the clearest denotation helium is considering ways to breach a law obstruction against continuing to pb the state aft his 2nd word ends successful aboriginal 2029.

"There are methods which you could bash it," Trump said successful a telephone interrogation with NBC News. He besides said that "it is acold excessively aboriginal to deliberation astir it."

The 22nd Amendment, added to the U.S. Constitution successful 1951 aft Franklin D. Roosevelt was elected president 4 times successful a row, says "no idiosyncratic shall beryllium elected to the bureau of the President much than twice."

Possible tally arsenic VP?

NBC's Kristen Welker asked Trump if 1 imaginable avenue to a 3rd word was having Vice-President JD Vance tally for the apical occupation and "then walk the baton to you."

"Well, that's one," Trump responded. "But determination are others, too. There are others."

"Can you archer maine another?" Welker asked successful the aboriginal greeting interview, earlier Trump near his Mar-a-Lago edifice successful Palm Beach, Fla., to walk the time astatine his adjacent play course.

"No," Trump replied.

Vance's bureau did not instantly respond to a petition for remark from The Associated Press.

Derek Muller, a prof of predetermination instrumentality astatine the University of Notre Dame, noted that the 12th Amendment, which was ratified successful 1804, says that "no idiosyncratic constitutionally ineligible to the bureau of President shall beryllium eligible to that of Vice-President of the United States."

Muller said that indicates that if Trump is not eligible to tally for president again due to the fact that of the 22nd Amendment, helium is not eligible to tally for vice-president, either.

"I don't deliberation there's immoderate 'one weird trick' to getting astir statesmanlike word limits," helium said.

In addition, pursuing a 3rd word would necessitate bonzer acquiescence by national and authorities officials, not to notation the courts and voters themselves.

Muller suggested that Trump is talking astir a 3rd word for governmental reasons to "show arsenic overmuch spot arsenic possible."

"A lame-duck president similar Donald Trump has each inducement successful the satellite to marque it look similar he's not a lame duck," helium said.

'I similar working'

Trump, who would beryllium 82 astatine the extremity of his 2nd term, was asked whether helium would privation to support serving successful "the toughest occupation successful the country" astatine that point.

"Well, I similar working," the president said.

He suggested that Americans would spell on with a 3rd word due to the fact that of his popularity. He falsely claimed to person "the highest canvass numbers of immoderate Republican for the past 100 years."

Gallup information shows then-president George W. Bush reaching a 90 per cent support standing aft the violent attacks connected Sept. 11, 2001. His father, President George H.W. Bush, deed 89 per cent pursuing the Gulf War successful 1991.

Trump has maxed retired astatine 47 per cent successful Gallup information during his 2nd term, contempt claiming to beryllium "in the precocious 70s successful galore polls, successful the existent polls."

He has mused earlier astir serving longer than 2 terms, mostly with jokes to affable audiences.

"Am I allowed to tally again?" helium said during a House Republican retreat successful January.

Representatives for the legislature enactment — Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson, House Democratic person Hakeem Jeffries, Republican Senate Majority person John Thune and Senate Democratic person Chuck Schumer — did not instantly respond to requests for remark from the AP.