Former US President Donald Trump has once again stirred controversy by expressing his desire to serve beyond the two-term limit imposed by the US Constitution. Speaking to reporters on Sunday, Trump reiterated his aspiration to explore “ways” to secure a third term.
“I am not joking about trying to serve a third term. There are methods which you could do it,” he said, according to NBC News.
His remarks have reignited debate over whether a third term is legally or politically feasible, given the strict limitations set by the 22nd Amendment of the US Constitution.
What does the US constitution say?
The 22nd Amendment, ratified in 1951, explicitly restricts any individual from being elected President more than twice.
It states:
“No person shall be elected to the office of the President more than twice, and no person who has held the office of President, or acted as President, for more than two years of a term to which some other person was elected President shall be elected to the office of the President more than once.”
This amendment was introduced following the four-term presidency of Franklin D. Roosevelt (1933–1945), breaking the traditional two-term precedent set by George Washington. The change was aimed at preventing any individual from holding excessive power over the executive branch.
However, there is a technical exception: If a Vice President assumes the presidency for less than two years due to the death or resignation of a sitting President, they can still run for two full terms—making 10 years in office theoretically possible.
For Trump to legally serve a third term, the 22nd Amendment would need to be repealed, which would require:
- Approval by two-thirds of both houses of Congress
- Ratification by three-fourths (38 out of 50) of US state legislatures
Given the current political climate, such an amendment would be extremely unlikely to pass.
Trump considering ‘other ways’ to serve a third term
During a media interaction, Trump was asked whether he might bypass the two-term limit by having his Vice President, JD Vance, run first and then hand over power to him.
“Well, that’s one, but there are others too,” Trump replied, as reported by the Associated Press.
However, he refused to elaborate on what other methods he was considering.
“I don’t want to talk about a third term now because no matter how you look at it, we’ve got a long time to go,” Trump said.
He further claimed that his 2020 loss to Democrat Joe Biden was “totally rigged”, implying that his potential third term would actually be a “fourth term” if the election results had been different.
Could Trump find a legal loophole?
While directly running for a third term is unconstitutional, political analysts have speculated on possible legal manoeuvres Trump might attempt:
More Read
- The ‘Proxy President’ Strategy
- Trump could endorse and influence a loyal Vice President—such as JD Vance—to win the election and then step down, allowing Trump to take over as Vice President and later assume the presidency through succession.
- However, this would be highly controversial and legally challenged.
- A Constitutional Amendment
- As mentioned, repealing the 22nd Amendment is possible but highly improbable, given that Democrats and many Republicans would oppose it.
- Declaring a National Emergency
- In a far-fetched scenario, Trump could claim a national crisis and attempt to extend his presidency through emergency powers. However, this would likely trigger legal and political battles.
Trump’s second term and future prospects
Donald Trump was sworn in as the 47th President in January 2025, marking the beginning of his second term after defeating Joe Biden in the 2024 election.
Previously, he served as the 45th President from 2017 to 2021, before losing his re-election bid to Biden.
As of now, there is no clear legal path for Trump to run for a third term. However, his repeated comments suggest that he remains determined to explore every possible avenue to extend his presidency—a prospect that will likely fuel ongoing debates in US politics.
