Can President Trump Pursue a Third Term in Office?

President Donald Trump delivers remarks at an event celebrating the 2024 World Series Champion Los Angeles Dodgers, Monday, April 7, 2025, in the East Room of the White House. (Official White House Photo by Daniel Torok)

In recent weeks, President Trump has raised eyebrows with comments regarding his potential bid for a third term, however the legal and constitutional challenges he would face make such a possibility highly unlikely.

Article by Stella Smith, Associate White House Correspondent

WASHINGTON - On March 30th, President Trump told reporters that he is “not joking” about serving a third term in the White House, citing a legal loophole which could make this possible.

Since the 22nd Amendment to the US Constitution was ratified in 1951, it has been long established that a US President is limited to two terms in office. This Amendment was introduced as a response to Franklin D. Roosevelt’s unprecedented four-term presidency from 1933 to 1945.

This Amendment specifically prohibits a candidate from being elected more than twice. If someone has served more than two years of another President’s term – such as a Vice President who assumes office after the President’s death or resignation – they can only be elected once. This means the maximum amount of time a person can serve as president is 10 years (two years as a successor plus two full terms.)

Considering President Trump was elected in both 2016 and 2024, the 22nd Amendment clearly prohibits a third term, despite his two elected terms being non-consecutive.

Although the 22nd Amendment is clear, supporters of President Trump’s bid for a third term have suggested various ways to contest it.

One such idea involves current Vice President J.D. Vance running for President in 2028, with Trump serving as his VP. If elected, Vance would resign from the presidency, allowing Trump to assume his position. However, the 12th Amendment prevents this approach, stating: “No person constitutionally ineligible to the office of President shall be eligible to that of Vice President of the United States.” Considering the 22nd Amendment makes Trump ineligible for another term, he is also prohibited from serving as Vice President.

Another proposed pathway to a third term for President Trump looks to repeal the 22nd Amendment entirely. In practice, this is highly unlikely. Under Article V of the U.S. Constitution, such a change would require a two-thirds vote in both the House and the Senate. Despite growing political polarization in Congress, it is incredibly doubtful that lawmakers would overturn such a fundamental pillar of checks and balances in the U.S. government.

In recent interviews on the topic, President Trump stated that there is much work to be done before he considers pursuing a third term, yet his hesitation to entirely dismiss the idea has left many concerned about the future of the presidency.

All things considered, while President Trump’s suggestion of pursuing a third term raises significant concern among politicians and the public at large, the legal hurdles he would have to overcome to achieve this goal make such a scenario highly improbable.