US President Donald Trump has said he is “not joking” about seeking a third term in office, despite constitutional limits that bar any president from serving more than two terms.
In a phone interview with NBC News on Sunday, Trump addressed growing speculation over his long-term political plans, saying, “No, I’m not joking,” while acknowledging that it was “far too early to think about it.”
“There are methods which you could do it, as you know,” Trump said, without providing specifics.
The US Constitution’s 22nd Amendment, ratified in 1951, states that “no person shall be elected to the office of the president more than twice.” It was introduced following Franklin D Roosevelt’s four-term presidency, which ended with his death in 1945.
Asked about a scenario in which Vice President JD Vance could assume office and later step aside, Trump said, “That’s one” possible approach, before adding, “but there are others, too.”
Legal experts say overturning the 22nd Amendment would require a two-thirds majority in both the House and Senate, followed by ratification from three-quarters of US states — a high constitutional threshold.
Trump, who began his second non-consecutive term in January 2025, has frequently hinted at extending his tenure. Some of his allies have echoed the idea, including longtime adviser Steve Bannon.
Speaking to NewsNation on 19 March, Bannon said, “We’re working on it,” suggesting that efforts were under way to reinterpret the term limit clause.
If Trump pursued a third term in 2028, he would be 82 years old — the same age President Joe Biden was when he left office. Trump was already the oldest president inaugurated in US history in 2025.
The idea of extending presidential terms has alarmed critics and drawn sharp responses from legal scholars, who argue that any deviation from constitutional norms would pose a serious threat to democratic stability.
While Trump’s comments continue to blur the line between provocation and policy, they highlight growing political polarisation and uncertainty around future electoral processes in the United States.
