Donald Trump Gives Update on Third Term Plans

President Donald Trump said he's "not joking" about a possible third term in a new interview with NBC News.

"There are methods which you could do it," the president said.

Newsweek reached out to the White House for comment on Sunday.

Why It Matters

Trump and his allies have repeatedly teased the idea of him seeking a third term, despite most legal analysts agreeing that this would violate the U.S. Constitution as all U.S. presidents are limited to two terms in office, with Trump now in his second and final term.

Calls for Trump to be allowed to run for a third term follow warnings issued by Democrats during the 2024 campaign that he would rule as an authoritarian once back in the White House. Nonetheless, former Trump administration official Steve Bannon, who hosts a popular right-wing podcast, suggested in an interview with NewsNation this month that it's a real option on the table.

What to Know

Trump was asked directly about a third term in a phone interview with NBC News on Sunday morning.

"A lot of people want me to do it," Trump said. "But, I mean, I basically tell them we have a long way to go, you know, it's very early in the administration."

Trump went on to say that he likes "working" and that's he's "not joking" about a possible third term.

"But I'm not—it is far too early to think about it... There are methods which you could do it," he said.

Most legal analysts say there is no constitutional path to a third term for a president. The 22nd Amendment reads: "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."

Some have suggested unconventional paths for Trump to get around the Constitution, as repeal of the amendment is believed to be all but impossible given current political dynamics. One idea floated by some is for Trump to be the vice-presidential nominee, and then whoever serves as president could step aside after winning.

However, legal analysts believe even this would be constitutionally tenuous and would likely be blocked by the U.S. Supreme Court. Others have warned that Trump could just ignore the Constitution and simply remain in office, with no clear way to force him out.

Trump, in an April 2024 interview with Time magazine, said he would not be in favor of changing the 22nd Amendment.

"I wouldn't be in favor of it at all. I intend to serve four years and do a great job. And I want to bring our country back. I want to put it back on the right track," he said.

What People Are Saying

Senator John Curtis, a Utah Republican, to NBC News last Sunday when asked about a possible third Trump term: "I wouldn't have supported a third term for [former President] George Washington," he responded, laughing. "That's a no, yeah."

Steve Bannon to NewsNation earlier this month: "I'm a firm believer that President Trump will run and win again in 2028, so I've already endorsed President Trump. A man like this comes along once every century, if we're lucky. We've got him now."

Former federal prosecutor Neama Rahmani told Newsweek on Thursday: "Aside from the potential vice president loophole, there is no legal path for Trump to run for a third term. Politically, he doesn't have the votes to repeal the 22nd Amendment, either in Congress or the states."

Representative Dan Goldman, a New York Democrat, previously told Newsweek in a January statement: "By now, Donald Trump's pattern is predictable: 'joke' about something unconstitutional or authoritarian; normalize the 'joke'; allow sycophantic Republicans to adopt the 'joke' as a serious idea until it becomes MAGA orthodoxy."

Update, 3/30/25 at 1:32 p.m. ET: This article was updated with additional information.