Trump Says He Would ‘Love’ Running Against Obama For A Third Term

Topline

President Donald Trump said he would “love” to run against former President Barack Obama for a third term if the chance presented itself—a comment made in the Oval Office just one day after Trump told NBC News he’s “not joking” about possibly seeking a third term.

Key Facts

Get Forbes Breaking News Text Alerts: We’re launching text message alerts so you’ll always know the biggest stories shaping the day’s headlines. Text “Alerts” to (201) 335-0739 or sign up here.

What Has Trump Said About A Third Term?

On Sunday, Trump told NBC’s “Meet the Press” he didn’t rule out seeking a third term, saying he’s “focused on the current” term and “it’s very early in the administration,” but “a lot of people would like me to” run for a third term and he “like[s]

working.” He said there are “methods” he could use to serve a third term, though he only agreed with one presented by Kristen Welker—that Vice President JD Vance could run with Trump as his running mate, and then resign, making Trump president—and declined to present other options. Trump also floated the idea in November, after winning the election, saying to Republicans “I suspect I won’t be running again unless you say, ‘He’s so good we’ve got to figure something else out.’”

What Is The 22nd Amendment?

The 22nd Amendment, which was passed by Congress in 1947 and ratified by the states in 1951, reads: “No person shall be elected to the office of the President more than twice, and no person who has held the office of President, or acted as President, for more than two years of a term to which some other person was elected President shall be elected to the office of the President more than once.”

Why Do Trump Allies Think He Could Serve A Third Term?

At least one House Republican, Rep. Andy Ogles, R-Tenn., has proposed changing the Constitution so Trump could run for a third term, and other Trump allies have suggested there are legal loopholes. Former White House adviser Steve Bannon said on “CUOMO” he believes Trump “will run and win again in 2028,” adding, “we’ll see what the definition of term limit is.” Bannon has also suggested the Constitution only prevents someone from serving more than two consecutive terms, The New York Times reported—though that is not actually specified in the language.

Has Obama Weighed In On A Third Term?

The former president joked about running for a third term once in 2015. Speaking to the African Union, Obama joked that he believed he could win a third term if he did run again, but said he isn’t allowed to, “the law is the law” and he was looking forward to spending time with his family and serving in other ways, The Wall Street Journal reported. He also joked about the possibility on “The Late Show With Stephen Colbert” in 2020, saying, “If I could make an arrangement where I had a stand-in, a front man or front woman, and they had an earpiece in and I was just in my basement in my sweats looking through the stuff, and then I could sort of deliver the lines … I’d be fine with that.”

Contra

Despite Trump saying he’s “not joking” about possibly seeking a third term, many Republicans insist that he is, including Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D. “I think he’s probably having some fun with it, probably messing with you,” Thune told reporters Monday.

Further Reading

Trump Claims There Are ‘Methods’ For Him To Serve Third Term—What To Know (Forbes)

Trump tells NBC News ‘there are methods’ for seeking a third term (NBC News)