Donald Trump has reiterated his suggestion that he may pursue a third term as President of the United States, a move that would contradict the two-term limit set by the US Constitution.
In an interview with NBC News, Mr. Trump stated, “I’m not joking,” when asked to elaborate on his intention to seek another term, adding, “There are methods which you could do it.”
The 78-year-old billionaire has a longstanding history of hinting at the possibility of serving more than two terms, but his comments on Sunday—along with statements to reporters on Air Force One—were the most concrete regarding any plans to achieve this objective.
Mr. Trump launched his second presidency with an unprecedented display of executive authority, leveraging the wealth of Elon Musk to dismantle significant portions of the government, claiming that his supporters desire even more action.
When a reporter inquired about whether he intends to remain in office past January 20, 2029, the next Inauguration Day, Mr. Trump seemingly dismissed the question, stating, “I’m not looking at that, but I’ll tell you, I have had more people ask me to have a third term.”
Earlier in the day, Mr. Trump informed NBC that he had been shown plans that would enable him to seek reelection.
When the network queried Mr. Trump about a potential scenario where Vice President JD Vance might run for president and subsequently hand over the role to him, Trump acknowledged, “that’s one” possible method.
He added that “there are others,” but declined to provide additional details.
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Amending the US Constitution to permit a third presidential term would necessitate a two-thirds majority in both the House of Representatives and the Senate, which Trump’s Republican Party currently lacks, or a constitutional convention called by two-thirds of the states that would propose modifications to the charter.
Both pathways seem unlikely, given the current distribution of states and Congressional seats under Republican control.
Whether pursued through Congress or the states, he would then need ratification from three-quarters of all state legislatures.
A constitutional convention has never been successfully convened in the United States, where all 27 constitutional amendments have been passed using the congressional method.
In January, just days after Mr. Trump assumed office, Republican Andy Ogles of Tennessee introduced a House joint resolution to amend the Constitution to allow presidents to serve up to three terms.
