Can Trump run for a third term in 2028?

The Constitution says no. But Trump keeps 'floating' the idea.

Illustration of Donald Trump walking around a Mobius strip
'Staying in power will be the only sure way Trump stays out of prison'
(Image credit: Illustration by Stephen Kelly / Getty Images)

The Constitution says a president can serve only two terms. Donald Trump disagrees. "I'm not joking," he said on NBC’s "Meet the Press." There are "a lot of people" who want him to run for a third term, he said, and "methods [by] which you could do it."

Trump has long talked about running for a third term, "though Republicans have seen these comments as jokes," said NBC News. Some GOP officials are now taking him seriously: Rep. Andy Ogles (R-Tenn.) has introduced a resolution that would extend presidential term limits to give Trump a chance at staying in the White House. One possibility: a scenario in which Vice President J.D. Vance "would run for office and then pass the role to Trump." Another, less-likely option would be to amend the Constitution.

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE
https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up
Joel Mathis, The Week US

Joel Mathis is a writer with 30 years of newspaper and online journalism experience. His work also regularly appears in National Geographic and The Kansas City Star. His awards include best online commentary at the Online News Association and (twice) at the City and Regional Magazine Association.