Donald Trump has suggested there are “methods” to circumvent the US constitutional limit preventing presidents from serving three terms, sparking outrage and constitutional debate. In an interview aired on NBC on Sunday, Trump told host Kristen Welker that he was not joking when he alluded to a purported loophole allowing him to stay in office beyond his second term.
Trump said: “There are methods which you could do it.” Welker referenced a scenario floated by some supporters where Trump could run as vice-president alongside his current VP, JD Vance, in 2028, with Vance resigning after inauguration to let Trump take over. However, election law expert Derek Muller of Notre Dame told the Associated Press that the 12th Amendment likely blocks this, as anyone ineligible for the presidency cannot serve as vice-president.
Trump later said it was “far too early to think about” a third term, but when pressed on whether he was joking, he replied: “No, no, I’m not joking. I’m not joking.” He added that “more people ask me to have a third term.”
The comments follow Trump’s February social media post likening himself to a “king” after an executive order on New York congestion pricing, which the White House amplified with a fake Time cover showing Trump wearing a crown. Meanwhile, Republican Representative Andy Ogles of Tennessee introduced a resolution in January to amend the Constitution to allow a president to serve up to three terms, but only if they did not serve two consecutive terms—a condition that would make Trump the sole eligible candidate.
Not all Republicans support the idea. Senator Markwayne Mullin of Oklahoma distanced himself from Trump’s “king” remarks. The proposed amendment faces virtually no chance of passing, requiring a two-thirds majority in both houses and ratification by three-quarters of states.
