Washington:
President Donald Trump may be publicly meditating on his third term in the White House, but the 22nd amendment to the US Constitution makes such a scenario highly unlikely.
Trump, 78, said on Sunday that he was “not kidding” about serving his third term as president, and that there is a “way” to NBC News that would allow that to happen.
Most constitutional scholars disagree.
And a serious effort to amend the founding document — what is now written, forbids the President from serving in his third term — sends the country to unknown territory.
– The history of the president –
America's first president, George Washington, set a precedent for resigning after taking office for two terms, but the two-term presidential limit was officially codified after more than 150 years.
The US president is the only Democrats of Franklin D. Roosevelt, serving two or more terms in the White House.
Roosevelt was elected four times as president in 1932, 1936, 1940 and 1944. His fourth term ended prematurely, when he died on April 12, 1945 at the age of 63.
Other former commanders of the Chief, especially Ulysses S. Grant and Theodore Roosevelt, were seeking a third term in office, but were unable to win a nomination or reelection.
Trump is the second president to win in 2016, lose in 2020, win again in 2024, and win an unincumbent term.
First up was Glover Cleveland, winning in 1884, losing in 1888, and winning in 1892.
-22nd correction –
The 22nd amendment to take office was passed in 1947 by two-thirds of the House of Representatives and two-thirds of the Senate.
It was ratified in 1951 by three-quarters of the US state legislature.
The text states that “a person must not be elected more than once in the President's office.”
It also prohibits multiple elections of presidents who have served for more than two years of their 'terminus' when others were elected president.
– Long shot resolution –
During the presidential election and in office, I have jokingly speculated that Trump will serve a third term.
But his statement over the weekend was about his most detailed possibilities, separated by the phrase “I'm not a joke.”
“A lot of people want me to do that,” the Republican president said.
Trump was asked by NBC that Vice President JD Vance would run for president in 2028 and later “pass the baton” to Trump as his running buddy.
“Well, that's one. But there are others,” Trump said without elaborating.
But the 12th Amendment appears to ban doors on it.
“People who are constitutionally ineligible to the President's office cannot qualify for the Vice President of the United States.”
In January, Tennessee Republican Rep. Andy Ogres introduced a long shot resolution into a home tailored to Trump.
It is also possible to convene a constitutional treaty to amend the US Constitution, but that is equally unlikely.
At 82 years and seven months, Trump will already become the oldest president at the end of his second term in January 2029.
Democrat Joe Biden was 82 years old and two months old when he took office in January.
Despite the obvious difficulties of overcoming the constitutional two-term restrictions, the punters looked at Trump's comments, and his odds of winning the 2028 presidential election have jumped.
According to offshore bookmaker Betonline.ag, the odds of Trump securing a third term have improved from 6 to 1, rising from 10 to 1, ranking second behind current Vice President JD Vance among those who can win the election.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published by Syndicate Feed.)
