Pretty clear I am not allowed to run for a third term, says Donald Trump

US President Donald Trump on Wednesday (IST) acknowledged that it was "pretty clear" that the US Constitution did not allow him to seek a third term, despite having repeatedly hinted at the possibility in recent months, Bloomberg reported.

 

Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One, Trump said, “If you read it, it’s pretty clear, I’m not allowed to run", adding that the "sad thing" was that he was currently enjoying high political support.

 

Trump's remarks came after House Speaker Mike Johnson on Tuesday said that he did not “see the path” for Trump to seek a third term. Johnson added, “It’s been a great run, but I think the president knows, and he and I have talked about, the constrictions of the Constitution, as much as so many of the American people lament that."

 

Johnson added that he does not see a way of amending the Constitution, since it takes roughly a decade to do that, and added that the amendment would require approval by two-thirds of both the House and Senate, followed by ratification from three-fourths of the US states. "I don’t see the path for that, but I can tell you that we are not going to take our foot off the gas pedal", he noted.

 

Trump to throw his name in the 2028 hat?

 

Trump, on several occasions, claimed that he would be willing to seek a third term, despite the 22nd  Amendment of the Constitution barring him from doing so. On October 23, Steve Bannon, a former White House advisor to Trump, in an interview with The Economist, said that members of Trump's inner circle are serious about him serving a third term, adding that they have a "plan".

 

Responding to Bannon's claim, Trump kept his possibility of running for a third term open. Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One, Trump said, "I would love to do it. I have the best numbers ever."

 

Earlier in March this year, just two months after Trump came to office for the second term, he claimed of eyeing a third term. Speaking to Fox News at the time, Trump said, "People are asking me to run, and there’s a whole story about running for a third term. I don’t know, I never looked into it. They do say there’s a way you can do it, but I don’t know about that."

 

Can Trump run for a third term? Here's what the US Constitution says

 

The 22nd Amendment to the US Constitution clearly prohibits more than two terms for a president in office. The amendment was added after Franklin D Roosevelt was elected as the president four times. While the Constitution caps the number of presidential terms, it allows one narrow exception.

 

Under the 22nd Amendment, if a vice-president or another successor serves less than two years of a predecessor’s term—due to resignation or death—that individual may still run for two full terms, giving a possible total of up to 10 years in office.

 

The only way a president could legally pursue a third term would be through repealing the 22nd Amendment. Doing so would require approval by two-thirds of both the House of Representatives and the Senate, followed by ratification from three-fourths of state legislatures.

 

Trump names potential successors

 

Speaking to reporters earlier this week, Trump also hinted at several potential successors to lead the Republican Party and as top contenders for the 2028 Presidential race, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Vice President JD Vance.

 

Trump praised both Rubio and Vance and said, "We have some really good people", pointing towards Rubio, and added, "We have great people -- I don't need to get into that. One of them is standing right here."

 

Praising Vance, Trump noted, "Obviously, JD is great. The vice president is great. I'm not sure anyone would run against those two."