Trump says he's 'not joking' about serving a third term
Weeks into his second term, President Donald Trump has stated he is "not joking" about the possibility of serving a third term in office despite the U.S. Constitution's two-term limit.
"I have had more people ask me to have a third term," President Trump said.
Trump elaborated on Air Force One after mentioning in a phone interview with NBC News that "there are methods which you could do it."
Legal experts, however, assert that this "almost certainly" cannot happen due to the 22nd Amendment, which states, "No person shall be elected to the office of the President more than twice."
Political analysts also believe there wouldn't be enough votes to repeal the amendment or change the term limit, despite a proposal introduced by GOP Congressman Andy Ogles in January.
"There is no chance that Donald Trump is going to constitutionally be allowed to be elected to a third term, even if he were to win, but there are other ways to become president," said Marc Sandalow, political analyst.
When asked if a potential way to a third term might be through Vice President JD Vance running for president and then passing the baton to him, Trump said, "That's one."
However, Trump insists this isn't his focus.
President Donald Trump said, "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."
Analysts suggest the president may be discussing this for political leverage, given he's term-limited.
"He doesn't want anybody to think we can wait him out," said Sandalow. "It's only three and a half more years. He wants people to fear this is going to be a long time coming."
Congress passed the 22nd Amendment in 1947, and it was ratified a few years later after Franklin D. Roosevelt was elected four times in a row.
President Trump would be 82 years old at the end of his second term.