Is the idea of a for President Donald Trump just a foolish ploy to get attention — or is it a real possibility?
Historically, presidents from George Washington to Franklin Roosevelt were eligible to run for unlimited terms. Washington refused to run a third time, setting a precedent to prevent a monarchial presidency. FDR was the only president elected a third (and fourth) time.
Chances for a third Trump term start and end with the U.S. Constitution and, specifically, the 22nd Amendment, which was adopted in 1951, six years after Roosevelt died. It says: “No person shall be elected to the office of the President more than twice…” This limitation didn’t apply to the sitting president, Harry Truman, but did apply to all future presidents.
Ron Faucheux
While the 22nd Amendment makes it clear that Trump cannot run for president again, his advocates may continue searching for a loophole — something they can bring to the U.S. Supreme Court, the ultimate arbiter, with six of its nine justices appointed by Republican presidents. They will point out that while the 22nd Amendment prevents getting elected president more than twice, it doesn’t technically 𱹱ԳԲ as president for more than two terms.
Here’s what they could try: Nominate Trump for vice president in 2028 and JD Vance (or another steadfast Trump loyalist) for president. After this ticket is elected and takes office, Vance would resign the presidency, Trump would assume the office and appoint Vance to be vice president — back to where it is now.
This would require a lot of fancy foot work to pull off. First, the Republican Party would have to agree to the plan and nominate the Vance-Trump ticket, with all its attendant risks. Second, a majority of the Electoral College would have to elect the ticket. Third, the newly elected president would have to keep the deal — take office, resign and turn over the presidency to Trump.
There is another, perhaps fatal, obstacle to this plan: The 12th Amendment to the Constitution says that “no person constitutionally ineligible to the office of President shall be eligible to that of Vice-President of the United States.”
If Trump is ineligible to be elected president in 2028, wouldn’t he also be ineligible to be vice-president? His advocates would likely say that while their man may not be eligible to be elected president again, there is nothing that makes him ineligible to serve as president again and, therefore, he would not be ineligible to be vice president based on lack of presidential qualifications. Most legal scholars would counter that the intent of the Constitution, as amended, is to prohibit such a circumvention.
Head spinning yet?
Another way for Trump to stay in power would be the Vladimir Putin method. In 2008, when he could not run for a third consecutive term as Russia’s president, Putin became prime minister and handed off the presidential title to Dmitry Medvedev. After four years under this arrangement, Putin won the next election and took back the presidency, title and all.
This method is dependent upon Vance, or another agreeable Republican, winning the presidential election in 2028. The new GOP president would then appoint the 82-year-old Trump to a high position, maybe chief of staff, a perch from which he could still run the country (even though he’d be prohibited, unlike Putin, from running for president again).
That’s a crass way to stay in power, although a few politicians have tried it. One example was George Wallace in 1966. Term-limited as Alabama’s governor, he convinced his wife, Lurleen, to run instead. Lurleen won and George kept power — until, tragically, his wife died 16 months after taking office.
The voters, of course, will have something to say about all this. By the next election, they may not have much appetite for a political masquerade of any kind. Also, Republicans could conclude that even just talk of a third term is a damaging distraction to the MAGA agenda during the current term. They may also see it as demeaning to Vance and other GOP prospects for 2028.
Attempting to end-run the Constitution is a bad idea. Respecting the limits of presidential power is the best approach; let’s call it the George Washington method.