President Donald Trump has signaled interest in pursuing a third term in office, despite the 22nd Amendment of the U.S. Constitution explicitly prohibiting it.
In a telephone interview with NBC News on Sunday, the president said he was considering ways to breach the constitutional barrier that impedes his chance for a third bid.
“No, I’m not joking. I’m not joking,” Mr Trump said, but “it is far too early to think about it. There are methods which you could do, as you know.”
He, however, declined to elaborate on specific methods.
The US 22nd Amendment limits presidents to a two-term tenure, which means they can only be elected twice.
The only exception is if someone serves less than two years of another president’s term due to death, resignation, or removal, in which case they can still be elected for two full terms of their own.
But this is not the case for President Trump, who served a full term between 2017 and 2021 and is currently serving his second term.
Overturning a constitutional amendment is an arduous process. It requires a proposal to secure a two-thirds vote in both houses of Congress, followed by ratification from the legislatures of three-fourths of the 50 US states.
However, President Trump stated that he had a number of supporters, citing his poll numbers.
“A lot of people want me to do it,” Mr Trump told NBC News. “But, I mean, I basically tell them we have a long way to go, you know.”
Previous allusion to a third term
This is not the first time President Trump has shown interest in a third term. In the past, he had made allusions to it, but his statements have been regarded as merely public musings.
This joke has, however, become one that is repeated often.
For instance, eight days after his inauguration in January, President Trump, while delivering a speech at the House Republicans’ annual issues retreat, said he was saving up for his third bid.
“I’ve raised a lot of money for the next race that I assume I can’t use for myself, but I’m not 100% sure. I think I’m not allowed to run again.”
A few days earlier, an ally and Tennessee representative, Andy Ogles, introduced to the House of Representatives a resolution to initiate the process of amending the Constitution to allow Mr Trump to seek a third term.
However, the resolution has made no progress in the chamber.
“Trump has proven himself to be the only figure in modern history capable of reversing our nation’s decay and restoring America to greatness, and he must be given the time necessary to accomplish that goal,” Mr Ogles said.
The lawmaker’s resolution is designed specifically to allow Mr Trump to serve a third term while preventing three of the four living former presidents from doing the same.
