Donald Trump Hints At Third Term In White House. But It's Easier Said Than Done

Trump's reaction on running for a third term came when he was asked whether he would want to keep serving in "the toughest job in the country".

File photo of US President Donald Trump.

Source : X

US President Donald Trump has suggested that he is open to the idea of running for a third term in the White House, despite the 22nd Amendment of the US Constitution prohibiting it.

"A lot of people want me to do it. But, I basically tell them we have a long way to go. I’m focused on the current,” Trump said on Sunday.

Trump's reaction came when the Republican President was asked whether he would want to keep serving in "the toughest job in the country".

The 22nd Amendment of the US Constitution categorically prohibits a US President for running more than twice. 

🚨 NEW: TRUMP V. OBAMA? 💀🥊

REPORTER: “If you were allowed to run for a third term is there a thought that the Democrats could run Barack Obama?”

TRUMP: “I’d love that. Ooo I’d love that. Boy that would be a good one. I’d like that.” pic.twitter.com/khWOFmayp0

— Autism Capital 🧩 (@AutismCapital) March 31, 2025

"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," the 22nd Amendment states.

Why Is Trump Talking About Third Term?

This is not the first time that Trump has spoken on the idea of a possible third-term presidency.

While speaking during a rally in Nevada in January this year, Trump jokingly said that a third term "would be the greatest honour of my life."

“It will be the greatest honour of my life to serve, not once but twice or three times or four times,” Trump said at the Nevada rally, according to CNN. 

He later clarified, "No, it will be to serve twice. For the next four years, I will not rest."

However, Trump on Sunday said that he was "not joking" this time. "I’m not joking...It is far too early to think about it," the President said.

Can The Laws Be Changed?

Revoking or amending the 22nd Amendment of the US Constitution requires two-thirds votes in both the House and the Senate and approval by three-quarters of state-level governments, according to CNN. 

Though Trump's Republican Party controls both the Houses of Congress, it does not have the required numbers to pass the legislation.

The only president in US history to serve more than two terms was Franklin D Roosevelt. The 22nd Amendment came into force in 1951 following Roosevelt’s death in office.

If Trump manages to change the laws and get elected for a third term, he will be the oldest person to ever hold the presidency at 82 years and 7 months old, breaking Joe Biden’s record. Biden was 82 years and 2 months old when he left office.

The Democrats have expressed their objections over the possible move saying they would oppose Trump's move for a third term. Some within the Republican Party have also opposed the move citing it as a 'bad idea'.

The Republican Senator from Oklahoma, Markwayne Mullin, had said in February he would not support an attempt to put Trump back in the White House.