Donald Trump started talking about the anticipation of a 3rd presidential word already in the mediate of his first term. In 2018, at a private gathering with political donors, he praised the constitutional changes in China that allowed leaders Xi Jinping stay in power for more than 2 consecutive terms. “He is now president for life, he did it,” Trump said. "Maybe 1 day we'll gotta effort it too."
During the 2020 election campaign. Trump has already openly stated that After the second victory, he will apply for a 3rd term. He repeated this in the following election in 2024, saying that he would "be honored to service not once, but two, three, or even four" times.
After his victory, statements about the 3rd word became systematic. On 27 January 2025, Trump said that he had already raised money for another campaign, and on 30 March he pointed out that he was inactive asked to apply for a 3rd term, “which would in a sense be a 4th word due to the fact that 2020 elections they were completely falsified in his opinion."
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No 1 can full realize how serious Trump is. He himself says that his conversation about the 3rd word is feed “for the headlines of false news”. But, as a close friend of the U.S. president and U.S. Trade Secretary claims Howard Lutnick, “people think he only speaks—but he never says anything: he always has a squad behind him that calculates the basics and structure of all his statements.”
Douglas Brinkley, a investigator of the American presidency, notes that talking about a 3rd word allows Trump to avoid the position of a “ball duck”Every president of the second term. Trump's position of presidency until the early 1930s makes his character more influential, which is peculiarly crucial for his attempts to consolidate power in his hands.
Main obstacle
Although Trump has not yet announced precisely how he intends to apply for a 3rd term, American media are already discussing this possibility. The main obstacle is 22nd Amendment to the United States Constitutionwhich expressly forbids being elected more than twice.
Nevertheless, theoretically, it is inactive possible to become president 3 times in a row — even in different ways. The first option is the most logical — adequate repeal the amendment.
The most direct and at the same time the most complicated way to choose for a 3rd word is to introduce a fresh amendment to the Constitution, which would repeal or modify the 22nd Amendment.
There are two ways to change the United States Constitution. In the first case, the amendment is proposed by the congressmen and must then get the support of 2 thirds of both chambers Congress (Chambers of Representatives and Senate). The amendment must then be ratified by 3 quarters of the state government (38 out of 50) and then enters into force.
The second, more complex option of amending the Constitution is that 2 thirds of state government (34 out of 50) asks legislature to convene a Convention to amend the United States Constitution. The amendments proposed by the Convention must then be ratified by 3 quarters of the states (38 out of 50). This option has not been utilized for any of the 27 amendments to the US Constitution (which does not prevent Trump's supporters from vigorous debate on this issue).
Discussion options
— The reason why we have the smallest number of amendments compared to any comparable constitution is that it is virtually impossible to amend the Constitution due to the fact that we cannot get approval from 34 to 38 states. This is simply a very, very serious barrier,” says Victoria Nourse, prof. at Georgetown University School of Law.
On the 3rd day following Trump's inauguration, Republican Congressman Andy Ogles proposed an amendment to the Constitution that would let a individual who was elected as president twice (not consecutively), to apply for a 3rd term.
At the same time, Democratic Congressman Dan Goldman, after Trump's triumph in the election, already twice offered legislature confirmation of 22nd amendments and separate to find that it besides applies to Donald Trump. Both proposals — Ogles and Goldman — have not yet been put to the vote in Congress.
Saul Loeb / AFPDonald Trump, April 2025.
Another theoretical way to circumvent Donald Trump's restrictions 22nd amendment is joining the next election as a vice presidential candidate with, of course, a formal presidential candidate. In the event of specified a couple's triumph immediately after the inauguration, or any time later, the president would have taken his presidential powers away, which would automatically have made Trump's candidate vice president the first person.
This option is discussed due to ambiguous interpretations of the 22nd amendment. Constitutional law experts place peculiar emphasis on the fact that it prohibits being "elected" to the office of President, but does not prohibit taking over the presidency from the position of Vice President.
Critics of this option point out that it is contrary to another 12th amendment to the Constitution, which prohibits a individual who has no constitutional qualifications to be elected President" from being elected Vice President.
Trump 2028
Supporters of the 3rd word respond that the 12th amendment was adopted almost 150 years earlier than the 22nd amendment, so it was not intended to prohibit the presidency of a individual who served by 2 terms but referred to nationality, age and place of residence. If that happens, the final decision on explanation 12. amendments will should be made by United States ultimate Court.
So far, the most likely presidential candidate to resign from Trump's presidency is the current Vice president J. D. Vance. The second candidate is President Trump's son, Donald Jr.
Democratic organization representatives firmly deny the anticipation of a 3rd word for Trump. In the Republican Party, this thought is perceived ambiguously. The Republican majority leader in the legislature John Thune suggests that the president is "probably joking about this", while the majority leader in the home of Representatives Steven Scalise believes Trump is returning to the subject of the 3rd word only to "talk about it". Another influential Republican, Senator Lindsey Graham, supported the thought of a 3rd word on social media X, writing “Trump 2028!” and then saying “it was a joke”.
The MEGA movement, and in peculiar its ideologist Steve Bannon, who worked as Trump's chief strategist during his first term, are those who most powerfully support the thought of a 3rd term. "I firmly believe Trump will run and win the 2028 election due to the fact that specified a man appears erstwhile all 100 years," Bannon stated. Another MPA representative, Shane Trejo, organized a think tank “The 3rd word Project”, devoted entirely to promoting the thought of another word for Trump.
The most serious legal justification for the fact that the 3rd word of president of the United States is in rule possible is 2 technological articles by the renowned prof. of law Bruce Peabody of 1999 and 2016. However, most American legal experts have long had a consensus that contradicts the thought of a 3rd term. “ Trump may not want to regulation out the anticipation of a 3rd term, but it is excluded by the 22nd Amendment to the Constitution,” says Constitutional Law prof. David Schultz.
— Trump rhetoric can aid him avoid lame duck status, but amendment leaves no area for any gaps — notes electoral law expert Derek Mull.
