Trump Dismisses Third Term Talk: ‘I’ll Be An Eight-Year President’
Key Facts
Trump told Kristen Welker on NBC’s “Meet the Press” that he is “looking to have four great years and turn it over to somebody, ideally a great Republican, a great Republican to carry it forward.”
“I’ll be an eight-year president, I’ll be a two-term president. I always thought that was very important,” he said in the interview that aired Sunday morning—although he said on the same program on March 30 he was “not joking” about a third run, even though the Constitution limits presidents to two terms.
Trump revived speculation he was serious about trying to have a third term in the White House about two weeks ago when the Trump Store began selling “Trump 2028” merchandise, including hats and shirts.
What Does The Constitution Say About Presidential Term Limits?
The 22nd Amendment of the Constitution says: “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.”
Who Did Trump Say Should Succeed Him?
When Welker asked if Trump’s vice president, JD Vance, was at the “top of the list” to succeed him and hold the presidency, Trump said “it could very well be” and suggested his role as vice president would give him “an advantage,” but this also contradicts comments Trump gave in the past, as he responded with a stern “no” in February after Fox News’ Bret Baier asked him whether he sees Vance as his successor. Trump also said in the interview that aired Sunday it’s “far too early” for those discussions, and said “Marco (Rubio) is great. There’s a lot of them that are great,” suggesting the field of Republican presidential candidates could include as many as 20 people, according to NBC.
Tangent
When Welker asked Trump if he agreed with a comment with his secretary of state, Rubio, who said all people in the U.S. are entitled to due process—in relation to Trump’s efforts to deport thousands of immigrants without giving them a chance to fight it in court—Trump said, “I don’t know. I’m not, I’m not a lawyer. I don’t know.” When Welker more directly asked, “Don’t you need to uphold the Constitution of the United States as president?” Trump again said, “I don’t know,” and suggested his lawyers will ensure he is following court orders. Trump has received criticism and his administration has faced legal challenges over his deportations, specifically that of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, who the administration admitted was mistakenly deported but has said will not return to the U.S. The Supreme Court issued an order requiring the administration to “facilitate” Abrego Garcia’s return, but Trump’s team has not made an effort to do so and said he would be deported again if he returns.
Key Background
Despite the Constitution clearly outlining term limits for presidents, Trump has entertained speculation over whether he’ll seek a third term for months into his second term. In a March interview with Welker on “Meet the Press,” Trump said “a lot of people want me to do it”—referring to a third term—and said he wasn’t joking about the possibility but again said he thought it was “far too early to think about.” One day later, Trump said he would “love” to run for a third term against former President Barack Obama, who is also term-limited. Trump mentioned the idea of a third term to GOP lawmakers even before he took office for his second term, saying in November, “I suspect I won’t be running again unless you say, ‘He’s so good we’ve got to figure something else out.’”
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