WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — President Donald Trump has once again signaled he may try to extend his hold on power beyond legal limits, saying in a recent interview, “I’m not joking” about seeking a third term in office.
In a Sunday call with NBC News from his Mar-a-Lago estate, Trump stated, “There are methods which you could do it,” suggesting he’s exploring ways to sidestep the U.S. Constitution’s two-term limit for presidents.
Later, speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One, Trump expanded on his remarks: “I have had more people ask me to have a third term, which in a way is a fourth term because the other election, the 2020 election was totally rigged.” Trump lost that election to President Joe Biden.
Though he downplayed the timing—“I don’t want to talk about a third term now”—his comments mark one of the clearest public acknowledgments yet that he’s willing to test the boundaries of the U.S. Constitution and American democracy.
The Constitution sets clear limits
The 22nd Amendment, ratified in 1951 after Franklin D. Roosevelt’s unprecedented four-term presidency, clearly states: “No person shall be elected to the office of the President more than twice.”
Legal scholars and constitutional experts have repeatedly stated that there is no viable legal path for Trump—or anyone—to serve more than two elected terms. Jeremy Paul, a constitutional law professor at Northeastern University, told NBC there are “no credible legal arguments” for a third term.
Derek Muller, an election law professor at Notre Dame, also dismissed the idea, noting that even schemes involving serving as vice president to reclaim the presidency would be unconstitutional. “I don’t think there’s any ‘one weird trick’ to getting around presidential term limits,” he said.
Trump third term rhetoric sparks concern
Representative Daniel Goldman, a Democrat from New York and lead counsel during Trump’s first impeachment, issued a sharp rebuke.
“This is yet another escalation in his clear effort to take over the government and dismantle our democracy,” Goldman said. “If Congressional Republicans believe in the Constitution, they will go on the record opposing Trump’s ambitions for a third term.”
Trump’s flirtation with extended presidential power has drawn concern far beyond party lines. His attempts to undermine the 2020 election results, culminating in the January 6 insurrection, already marked a historic breach of democratic tradition.
Political posturing or authoritarian warning?
Some analysts believe Trump’s comments are more political theater than policy—designed to project strength and distract from the limitations of a potential final term. But even floating the idea fuels distrust and raises alarms in a country where democratic erosion has increasingly taken center stage.
Supporters like Steve Bannon and some voters have publicly endorsed the idea. “We want Trump in ’28,” Bannon declared at CPAC. Meanwhile, Trump ally Kayla Thompson, a Wisconsin voter, told reporters, “America needs him… if he doesn’t do it, we’re probably headed backwards.”
Yet Trump’s claims of public support don’t hold up against polling data. While he insists he holds the “highest poll numbers of any Republican for the last 100 years,” Gallup shows his peak approval rating was 47%—well below former President George W. Bush’s 90% in the days after 9/11.
A deeper concern for Black and marginalized communities
For many in Black and marginalized communities, Trump’s rhetoric around extending power is more than just a constitutional question—it’s a warning sign. His administration was marked by policies and rhetoric that targeted immigrants, limited voting access, and fueled racial division.
Talk of a third term raises concerns not just about legality, but about the future of civil rights, judicial appointments, and protections for marginalized groups. With the resurgence of voter suppression laws and attacks on history education—including Black history—Trump’s return to unchecked power could deepen systemic inequities.
Trump, who would be 82 at the end of a second term, deflected concerns about age, saying simply, “Well, I like working.” But his casual talk of circumventing democratic guardrails signals a deeper disregard for the constitutional principles that protect the nation from authoritarian rule.
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