# Trump won't rule out 3rd term **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Tags:** trump\ **Created:** [March 31, 2025, 1:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-wont-rule-out-3rd-term/1016371 "2025-03-31T01:50:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 24
**Author:** ![Horatius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/horatius/32/3572_2.png) [@Horatius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatius)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2025, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-wont-rule-out-3rd-term/1016371/461 "2025-10-27T21:19:00Z")
> [@That\_Don\_Guy](#): > > Some of us have been speculating the possibility of somebody serving two terms as President and then being elected VP for years Yes, there’s been “speculation” about these kinds of things for decades. The difference here is, it was never _the president himself_ talking about it. Whether you think this is legally possible or not, we have Trump himself saying he’d be “allowed” to do it, and he’s only restraining himself because it would be “too cute” to play such games. And we all know what value to place on Trump saying he’d never do a thing. We’re in the Constitutional position of “The call is coming from inside the house” now. This is unlike anything that’s ever come before, and a lot of the tools that you might have used even a just few years ago to prevent this from happening have been broken. If Trump is alive in 2028, he’s absolutely going to try to stay in power, in some fashion. Maybe this VP gambit, maybe something else, but the VP thing has just enough wiggle room to let the SCOTUS save face by supporting it. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2025, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-wont-rule-out-3rd-term/1016371/462 "2025-10-27T21:22:21Z")
> [@Horatius](#): > > On the basis of “Trump lies about everything”, he is now _absolutely_ going to run as VP in 2028, Counterpoint: Trump’s ego would never allow him to even PRETEND to be second fiddle to anyone else. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2025, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-wont-rule-out-3rd-term/1016371/463 "2025-10-27T22:53:17Z")
> [@Velocity](#): > > There’s no way that Trumpist argument could hold any water. “No person shall be elected to the office of president more than twice.” Not “more than two consecutive terms, but okay if separate.” The Trumpist argument’s logic doesn’t matter. His seals bark on command. ---
**Author:** ![That\_Don\_Guy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/that_don_guy/32/538_2.png) [@That\_Don\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/That_Don_Guy)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2025, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-wont-rule-out-3rd-term/1016371/464 "2025-10-27T23:20:51Z")
> [@Sherrerd](#): > > > [@That\_Don\_Guy](#): > > > > Some of us have been speculating the possibility of somebody serving two terms as President and then being elected VP for years - for example, [here’s one from 2011](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hillary-obama-a-fanciful-scenario-but-the-only-one-that-would-worry-me-at-this-point/599407/66) that mentioned the possibility of Obama doing this in 2016 if he was re-elected in 2012. > > Donald likes to look to Vlad Putin as a guide, and Putin did something like this. The Russian Constitution used to limit the number of terms a President could serve, so to get around this Putin become Prime Minister from 2008-2012 while a stooge (Dmitry Medvedev) served as titular President. Then when Vlad got back in as President, he had the Constitution changed so that he’d never have to be bothered with doing that ‘switch job titles’ maneuver again. > > Technically that would NOT work with the Presidency and Vice Presidency of the USA, since constitutionally (ha!) no one can be elected VP who is not eligible to be President. Meaning Donald could not be elected VP no matter who he got to be his “President” stooge. I have a feeling I’m going to regret posting this, especially as I have done it before here and got into quite an argument… Since the 22nd Amendment does not disqualify anyone from being President - it only disqualifies them from being **elected** President, something Trump will not be doing in 2028 - Trump would not be “Constitutionally ineligible” to be President, so he would not be disqualified from being VP by the 12th Amendment. ---
**Author:** ![jsc1953](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5daacb/32.png) [@jsc1953](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jsc1953)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2025, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-wont-rule-out-3rd-term/1016371/465 "2025-10-27T23:28:58Z")
You know what would be fun? If the Republican Party makes Trump their nominee in 2028 but many states (including swing states) refuse to put him on the ballot, and he loses in an electoral landslide. ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2025, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-wont-rule-out-3rd-term/1016371/466 "2025-10-27T23:32:20Z")
Not sure if this was asked upthread, but if the Constitution says Trump cannot be **elected** to a third term (but this doesn’t stop him from **running** for a third term,) then if Trump does indeed run and wins 270 or more electoral votes, would the Supreme Court just deny him his victory and hand it to the runner-up (or whomever the Electoral College chooses instead of Trump?) ---
**Author:** ![Horatius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/horatius/32/3572_2.png) [@Horatius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatius)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2025, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-wont-rule-out-3rd-term/1016371/467 "2025-10-27T23:40:59Z")
> [@Velocity](#): > > would the Supreme Court just deny him his victory and hand it to the runner-up No, because they’re (the majority, at least) in his pocket. You can’t rely on the Supreme Court, or a Republican controlled Congress, to save you from this. If they were inclined to stand up to Trump like this, they’d have done it long before now. In another three years, they’ll be just that more subservient to him. ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2025, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-wont-rule-out-3rd-term/1016371/468 "2025-10-28T00:44:26Z")
If Obama tried to run in 2028, the Supreme Court would rule 9-0 that he is ineligible. However, if DJT tries it, the Supreme Court Republicans Of The United Maga States might well look the other way. Thomas and Alito, I guarantee 100% would vote to allow his 3rd term, perhaps under the guise of “this is an emergency and we can suspend the Constitution” or “The 22nd does not specifically mention DJT by name, so we can ignore it.” Kavanaugh would likely also go along, depending on whether he is sober at the time. Roberts has long since stopped worrying about the appearance of impartiality, so there might be four votes in the bag already. Gorsuch would be 50-50 and Barrett no more than 10% likely to ignore the Constitution. Of course the whole point is moot if DJT is doing the hokey croaky by 2028, but don’t count on the Supremes to save democracy. They simply don’t give a shit. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2025, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-wont-rule-out-3rd-term/1016371/469 "2025-10-28T01:17:38Z")
This could well be a case where a write-in candidate really could “win.” ---
**Author:** ![Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/13edae/32.png) [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stranger_On_A_Train)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2025, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-wont-rule-out-3rd-term/1016371/470 "2025-10-28T01:42:44Z")
> [@BobLibDem](#): > > Thomas and Alito, I guarantee 100% would vote to allow his 3rd term, perhaps under the guise of “this is an emergency and we can suspend the Constitution” or “The 22nd does not specifically mention DJT by name, so we can ignore it.” This is hyperbole; the total authority of the Supreme Court comes exclusively from their ability to interpret the Constitution as written. (Yes, I know people can cherry-pick examples of reasoning from ‘that penumbra’ that clearly extends beyond the text of the Constitution, but in no case has the Court simply struck out actual text.) Trump could, however, be voted into the Speakership of the House of Representatives, and then find his way to the presidency by the generous serial resignations of President and Vice President, which would technically avoid the annoying restrictions of the 12th and 22nd amendments. Would such chicanery work? I doubt we will ever find out because Trump isn’t not the kind of person to play a game of political chess; he’s a child more likely to turn the table over and declare that he’s won by default, and I suspect the strategy will be something more along the lines of declaring the election invalid and holding a Congressional vote for expediency of highly suspect Constitutionality. At some point, it wouldn’t matter if the Supreme Court agrees or not as long as there is sufficient momentum and enough legally confoundment to forestall any decision. But frankly, all of this assumes that Trump is still alive in circa late 2028 or the Heritage Foundation and Susie Wiles can sufficiently ‘Weekend at Bernies’ his barely animated near-corpse to appear capable of holding office. I actually fear that something even worse may occur, and that we end up with a true dictator instead of a pretender-king who is more interested in personal wealth and vengeance against all perceived enemies that constructing a functional autocracy. Stranger ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2025, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-wont-rule-out-3rd-term/1016371/471 "2025-10-28T02:00:35Z")
> [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](#): > > Trump could, however, be voted into the Speakership of the House of Representatives, and then find his way to the presidency by the generous serial resignations of President and Vice President, which would technically avoid the annoying restrictions of the 12th and 22nd amendments. Much like running for VP, I doubt Trump’s ego would ever allow him to run for an inferior office even under the slightest of pretenses. Nor would he trust the elected president/VP to step down once they were in position, because he’d absolutely never honor any such deal for anyone else, and, as a sociopath, he assumes that nobody else in that position would either. ---
**Author:** ![Railer13](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/railer13/32/9742_2.png) [@Railer13](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Railer13)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2025, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-wont-rule-out-3rd-term/1016371/472 "2025-10-28T02:04:57Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > I doubt Trump’s ego would ever allow him to run for an inferior office even under the slightest of pretenses. The thing is, he wouldn’t have to run for any office. The House can elect anybody to be Speaker…it doesn’t have to be a Representative. DJT can sit back until the House elects him, and then smile as Vance and DeSantis resign. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2025, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-wont-rule-out-3rd-term/1016371/473 "2025-10-28T02:12:26Z")
> [@Railer13](#): > > DJT can sit back until the House elects him, and then smile as Vance and DeSantis resign. Which brings me to my second point - Trump would never in a million years trust them to resign, and I can’t imagine that Ron “It is my birthright to rule over you peasants” DeSantis would go through running for president and winning just to stand aside for Trump, nor Vance who AFAICT has no values or beliefs of his own aside from the acquisition of personal power and prestige. ---
**Author:** ![Railer13](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/railer13/32/9742_2.png) [@Railer13](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Railer13)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2025, 2:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-wont-rule-out-3rd-term/1016371/474 "2025-10-28T02:13:57Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > Trump would never in a million years trust them to resign However, they could be impeached. ---
**Author:** ![PhillyGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ed655f/32.png) [@PhillyGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PhillyGuy)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2025, 2:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-wont-rule-out-3rd-term/1016371/475 "2025-10-28T02:33:07Z")
> [@Velocity](#): > > . . . would the Supreme Court just deny him his victory and hand it to the runner-up (or whomever the Electoral College chooses instead of Trump?) I question whether SCOTUS would be the party that makes the decision. In most countries, when there is a seriously disputed election, the military ultimately decides. You might say generals won’t want to be responsible for the decision. But neither will John Roberts. And Pete Hegseth is working hard to appoint pro-Trump military commanders. There also is the question of what we mean by being the serving president. Normally, the same person lives in the White House and is treated as military commander in chief and has the Senate vote on their cabinet (and other) nominees. I have no confidence January 2029 will be normal. The locus of power could be split or unclear for a few weeks. ---
**Author:** ![PhillyGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ed655f/32.png) [@PhillyGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PhillyGuy)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2025, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-wont-rule-out-3rd-term/1016371/476 "2025-10-28T02:42:15Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > Which brings me to my second point - Trump would never in a million years trust them to resign. . . A million years is a long time. What about Lara Trump? ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2025, 2:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-wont-rule-out-3rd-term/1016371/477 "2025-10-28T02:49:11Z")
I really don’t see Trump being a factor in 2028 at all, despite his bluster. If he’s even still lucid at that point (which I highly doubt given how much he’s degenerated over the last year), he’s not going to have any interest in the various shenanigans that people here are putting forward nor the energy to pursue them, and he’ll likely lose all interest once it becomes a foregone conclusion that the Republicans are moving on and planning for a future without him as the center of the universe. ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2025, 2:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-wont-rule-out-3rd-term/1016371/478 "2025-10-28T02:49:52Z")
> [@Sherrerd](#): > > no one can be elected VP who is not eligible to be President. Meaning Donald could not be elected VP no matter who he got to be his “President” stooge. The only requirements to BE President are: 35 years old Natural born citizen 14 year resident in the United States “Being” is not the same as “being elected” as Congress debated when writing the amendment. ---
**Author:** ![Kolak\_of\_Twilo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kolak_of_twilo/32/73_2.png) [@Kolak\_of\_Twilo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kolak_of_Twilo)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2025, 6:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-wont-rule-out-3rd-term/1016371/479 "2025-10-28T06:03:52Z")
> [@nearwildheaven](#): > > He would have to still be alive to serve a 3rd term in the first place, and I don’t think he will be. I see many posters saying they think he is on the brink of death or won’t live much longer and I don’t understand why. Frankly, I expect he has +/- a decade left. His family history suggests he will make it to his mid 80s. ---
**Author:** ![PhillyGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ed655f/32.png) [@PhillyGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PhillyGuy)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2025, 12:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-wont-rule-out-3rd-term/1016371/480 "2025-10-28T12:17:02Z")
Re Trump’s health, the medical condition of a dictator is a closely held state secret. In this sense, Trump is a full dictator. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-wont-rule-out-3rd-term/1016371.md?page=23) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-wont-rule-out-3rd-term/1016371.md?page=25)