Constitutionally, there is no way President Donald Trump can run for a third term. However, in the current turbulent, disconcerting and alarming free-fall that has been the 47th president’s run so far, we cannot say a third term is entirely out of his reach.
In a March 30 phone call with NBC News, Trump told reporters that there were “methods” for him to work around the 22nd Amendment, which states presidents can only serve two terms. The president said he was “not joking” and “a lot of people want me to do it.”
Contrary to what he believes, a lot of people do not, in fact, want him to do this.
As of April 7, in a poll run by the Economist over half of Americans disapprove of Trump’s presidency, with that number increasing after his tariffs on major trading partners across the globe.
His words, albeit laughable to some and to others a mere one-off comment, have depth to them. Trump’s quips and bizarre statements land soundly to an attentive audience — voters and supporters who take his words as law. To them, Trump has now etched in a real possibility that they thought of before, but coming from the president himself, now actually means something.
A third time is flatly against our Constitution. In 1796, George Washington established the precedent of a peaceful transfer of power after two terms to keep from an egregious misuse of influence from the most powerful office in the world. Presidents after him followed this unwritten rule, with some trying for a third-term but losing to their opponent. This lasted until Franklin D. Roosevelt. Finally, in 1951, Congress passed the 22nd Amendment into law, denying the possibility of a third term to any president.
In 75 years, this has not changed, and Trump should not be the one to break this barrier.
There is reason to be alarmed at his words, whether you take his statements seriously or not — there are supporters who do, and they will show up to the polls no matter what.
In 2029, Trump will be 83 years old. His supporters ridiculed President Joe Biden’s age and deemed him unfit for presidency during his campaign, so we can only hope they hold their “king” to the same standard.
Trump informed NBC News that his plans for a third term were far off, focusing on the “current” instead. Horrifically, the current is equally as bad.
His presidency thus far is in no sense of the word “normal.” There is a clear assault on our First Amendment rights; students have been pulled off the streets for making their voices heard and deported for disagreements, leaving stains of fascist ideology on the country.
There is a lack of empathy between people, an “us versus them” creed that has built up over years of political unrest, tariffs that have razed the stock market and, for some reason, there is a civilian parading around in the White House as a “special government employee.”
Our relationship with other countries has also taken a turn for the worse, with Canada being demoted to a 51st state in jest and Mexico facing increased pressure from the U.S. on topics of immigration and trade — and not to mention the embarrassing heated argument in the White House between Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Frankly, there might not be any foreign relations left standing by the time Trump’s “third term” rolls around.
If Trump were to change the Constitution and re-introduce himself as a presidential candidate in 2028, he would need two-thirds approval from the Senate and House of Representatives, as well as approval and ratification by three-fourths of the states. This is a daunting task, and it very well should be.
Even so, it is not impossible. Republicans currently hold more seats in the House as well as the Senate, with party leaders positioned to further Trump’s agenda. As the rollout of presidential orders continues in the almost three months that have passed since Trump took office, there appears to be no sign of the Republican Party slowing down.
While the Democrats were mostly met with silence from their leaders after the 2024 election, not all have given up. Sen. Bernie Sanders and House Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez have been vying to unite a lackluster party through their “Fighting The Oligarchy” tour, while Sen. Cory Booker stunned the Senate floor with his 25-hour speech April 2, opposing Trump and his actions.
In a wavering democracy, leaders and change are needed more than ever. Trump’s threat of a third term is not an empty promise, nor is it something to be brushed over.
Constitutional changes cannot be at the mercy of the whims of a president, no matter how many people “want him to do it.”
Rachana Madhav is a fourth-year behavioral neuroscience major and opinion editor of The News. She can be reached at madhav.r@northeastern.edu.
