U.S. President Donald Trump has once again raised eyebrows over the possibility of serving a third term in office, despite the constitutional limits set by the 22nd Amendment.
Speaking to a group of Congressional Republicans in Miami, Trump hinted that he may not be completely barred from running again, suggesting that he might still have the opportunity for another race.
While making the comment, Trump noted, “I’ve raised a lot of money for the next race that I assume I can’t use for myself, but I’m not 100 percent sure, because I don’t know… I think I’m not allowed to run again.”
This statement left the audience laughing, as Trump turned to Republican House Leader Mike Johnson and playfully asked, “I’m not sure, am I allowed to run again? Mike? I better not get you involved in that argument.”
These remarks are not the first time Trump has alluded to the idea of running for a third term.
Despite the fact that U.S. presidents are limited to two terms by the 22nd Amendment, which was ratified in 1951 in response to Franklin D. Roosevelt’s four terms in office, Trump has made several comments in recent months suggesting the possibility of extending his time in power.
During his second presidential term inauguration, which took place a week ago, Trump became only the second president in U.S. history to serve two non-consecutive terms. He has often joked about running again, and while his comments are typically made with humor, they continue to spark speculation among his supporters and critics alike.
At a rally in Nevada last Saturday, Trump jokingly said, “It will be the greatest honor of my life to serve not once, but twice—or three times or four times,” before adding with a laugh, “Headlines for the fake news.” This comment was met with cheers from his audience.
In November, just after securing an election win, Trump suggested that he might not run again unless he received strong support from his political allies. “I suspect I won’t be running again unless you say, ‘He’s good, we got to figure something else,’” Trump told a crowd of House Republicans.
Earlier in July, he made a similar remark to a group of conservative Christians, urging them to vote in the upcoming election and implying that his continued leadership would resolve issues in the country. “Christians, get out and vote. Just this time… Four more years, it’ll be fixed, it’ll be fine, you won’t have to vote anymore,” he said.
