Ever since Donald Trump ran for reelection in 2024, he’s made comments about a potential third term that have made many Democrats and some Republicans fear for the future of our country and democracy.
From the beginning, Trump has created concerns for Democrats, as many have said that he is planning to hijack American democracy.
Left wing sources like MS NOW point to Jan. 6, 2021, making statements like “Trump has already tried to overthrow American democracy, what’s stopping him from trying again?”
Trump supporters argue that Jan. 6 was simply a protest that escalated noting that Trump tweeted, “Stay peaceful.”
Trump’s first mention of running for a third term was in Oct. 2024, when he was campaigning for his second term, saying that he “would love a third term.”
Since then, Trump has publicly mentioned a third term dozens of times, saying in March that he was “not joking.”
He has begun selling “Trump 2028” merchandise like flags and hats.
However, he made contradictory statements, such as predicting that a hypothetical 2028 ticket consisting of Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Vice President JD Vance would be “unstoppable.”
The inconsistency leaves observers uncertain, as there is no reliable way to determine whether Trump is genuinely interested in pursuing a third term.
Even if the President is not serious about this pursuit, this rhetoric is peculiar for any president.
“Since I’ve been following politics as a voter, I haven’t ever heard another administration mention running for a third term,” Social Science instructor Jill Sonbudtasan said.
Only four presidents have ever floated the idea of running for more than two terms, all importantly before the passage of the 22nd Amendment, which states, “No person shall be elected to the office of the President more than twice.”
Franklin D. Roosevelt was the only U.S. President who was elected to a third term in 1940, due to a national need in the midst of The Great Depression and World War II.
No other president after the amendment passed has ever seriously discussed a third term.
So, is there any legal path for Trump to run for a third term? Technically, yes, but the legal obstacles of doing so are practically insurmountable.
In the unlikely event that Trump attempts to run for a third term, he would need Congress to overturn the 22nd Amendment, which would require 38 states to ratify the repeal.
“Donald Trump would need a two-thirds majority vote in Congress to overturn the 22nd amendment, and the Democratic Party would never allow that,” AP US Government student Connor Murphy said.
“I wouldn’t say impossible, but it would be very, very difficult. It would really be a big challenge to overcome.”
The monumental legal action required to overturn an amendment to the US Constitution has only ever been seen once, with the 18th Amendment, which established Prohibition.
Another idea that has floated for Trump potentially getting a 3rd term is for him to run as vice president where whoever ran for president would resign and bring Trump to power.
However, this, too, would require the same titanic legal action of amending the Constitution.
The 12th Amendment states, “No person constitutionally ineligible to the office of President shall be eligible to that of Vice President of the United States.”
In the unlikely event that the 22nd or 12th Amendment are altered or overturned, Donald Trump would still need to win the 2028 election.
Trump’s approval ratings, even without the hypothetical and likely unappealing action of attempting a third term, are already unfavorable, as many voters have been dissatisfied with his actions, particularly regarding the economy and global trade.
With all these factors combined, there is almost no chance that Trump will serve a third term.
The legal action, amount of support required, and the authenticity of Trump’s remarks make a third Trump term appear to be just another hypothetical scenario that will never see the light of day.