President Trump did not rule out seeking a third term in office on Sunday, telling NBC News that he was “not joking” about the possibility and suggesting there were “methods” to circumvent the two-term limit laid out in the Constitution.
Mr. Trump told the “Meet the Press” host Kristen Welker that “a lot of people” wanted him to serve a third term, according to a transcript of the interview provided by NBC News.
“A lot of people want me to do it,” he said. “But we have — my thinking is, we have a long way to go. I’m focused on the current.”
Any attempt to seek a third term would run afoul of the 22nd Amendment, which begins, “No person shall be elected to the office of the president more than twice.”
On Sunday, after the release of the interview, the White House reiterated Mr. Trump’s point that he was focused on his current term, and added that it was “far too early to think about” the idea.
“Americans overwhelmingly approve and support President Trump and his America First policies,” Steven Cheung, the White House communications director, said in a statement. He added that Mr. Trump was focused on “undoing all the hurt” done by the Biden administration and “Making America Great Again.”
Mr. Trump has often mused about the idea of a third term, particularly in rallies and speeches that have delighted his supporters, though he has often treated it more as a humorous aside. The interview was the first time that Mr. Trump — who has likened himself to a king and shown an affinity for autocratic leaders that constitutional experts and historians have compared to authoritarianism — indicated that he was seriously considering the idea, which his allies have continued to amplify.
Three days after Mr. Trump was sworn in for the second time, Representative Andy Ogles of Tennessee proposed an amendment to the Constitution that would make Mr. Trump eligible for a third term. Such a measure would be extraordinarily difficult: Constitutional amendments require approval by a two-thirds vote of Congress and then the ratification of three-fourths of the states.
In the interview, Ms. Welker noted that she had heard him joke about serving a third term a number of times. Mr. Trump made it clear he considered it a real possibility.
“No, no I’m not joking,” he said. “I’m not joking.”
Ms. Welker asked Mr. Trump whether he had been presented with plans, and he said that he had not — but added that there were “methods which you could do it.”
Ms. Welker suggested one possibility: having Vice President JD Vance at the top of the ticket in 2028, only to pass the office on to Mr. Trump after winning. Mr. Trump acknowledged “that’s one” way it could happen.
“But there are others too,” he said. “There are others.”
Mr. Trump declined to say what those could be.
Erica L. Green is a White House correspondent, covering President Trump and his administration. More about Erica L. Green
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