President Donald Trump said he’s “not joking” about a third presidential term, and indicated he’s considering ways to do so.
Trump made the comments to NBC News’ Kristen Welker in an exclusive phone interview with the network over the weekend. Trump told Welker, “There are not plans. There are, there are methods which you could do it,” according to the network.
The 22nd amendment does not allow a person to serve as president more than twice.
"I don't even want to talk about it. I'm just telling you I have had more people saying, please run again. We have a long way to go before we even think about that but I've had a lot of people,” Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One Sunday evening when pressed, touting the “best hundred days of almost any president.”
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Trump has joked about seeking an additional term in the past, but his latest comments marked his most extensive comments on the issue to date.
"I don't even want to talk about a third term now because no matter how you look at it, you've got a long time to go. We have a long time. We have almost four years to go and that's a long time but despite that so many people are saying you've got to run again. They love the job we're doing. Most importantly they love the job we're doing,” Trump said.
When asked if that meant he’s not planning to leave office, Trump said, "I'm not looking at that but I'll tell you, I have had more people ask me to have a third term, which in a way is a fourth term because the other election, the 2020 election was totally rigged, so it's actually sort of a fourth term.”
When asked again later if he was planning to leave office at the end of his term, Trump did not answer.
The chairman of the Democratic Party wrote on X, “This is what dictators do.”
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When asked by Welker about a potential method where Vice President JD Vance would run for office, and pass the baton, Trump told the NBC Host, “Well, that’s one. But there are others too,” according to a transcript of the call from the network.
Term limits were established in the Constitution in 1951, after President Franklin D. Roosevelt served for nearly 13 years. Amending the constitution requires a two-thirds majority vote in both the House and Senate, and ratification by three quarters of states.
Congressman Andy Ogles has already proposed amending the language of the 22nd amendment to allow for three terms.
