President Trump did not rule out seeking a third term in office on Sunday, telling NBC News that he was “not joking” about the possibility and suggesting there were “methods” to circumvent the two-term limit laid out in the Constitution.
Mr. Trump told the “Meet the Press” host Kristen Welker that “a lot of people” wanted him to serve a third term, according to a transcript of the interview provided by the network.
“A lot of people want me to do it,” he said. “But we have — my thinking is, we have a long way to go. I’m focused on the current.”
Any attempt to seek a third term would run afoul of the 22nd Amendment, which begins, “No person shall be elected to the office of the president more than twice.”
On Sunday, after the release of the interview, the White House reiterated Mr. Trump’s point that he was focused on his current term, and added that it was “far too early to think about” the idea.
“Americans overwhelmingly approve and support President Trump and his America First policies,” Steven Cheung, the White House communications director, said in a statement. He added that Mr. Trump was focused on “undoing all the hurt” done by the Biden administration and “Making America Great Again.”
Mr. Trump has often mused about the idea of a third term, particularly in rallies and speeches that have delighted his supporters, though he has often treated it more as a humorous aside. The interview was the first time that Mr. Trump indicated that he was seriously considering the idea. Already he has likened himself to a king, shown an affinity for autocratic leaders and displayed governance tactics constitutional experts and historians have compared to authoritarianism.
Mr. Trump’s allies have amplified the idea he could serve another term. Three days after Mr. Trump was sworn in for the second time, Representative Andy Ogles of Tennessee proposed an amendment to the Constitution that would make Mr. Trump eligible for a third term. Such a measure would be extraordinarily difficult: Constitutional amendments require approval by a two-thirds vote of Congress and then the ratification of three-fourths of the states.
Democrats in Congress, concerned about the possibility of such legislation, have introduced a resolution to prevent loopholes to the two-term limit.
In the interview, Ms. Welker noted that she had heard him joke about serving a third term a number of times. Mr. Trump made it clear he considered it a real possibility.
“No, no I’m not joking,” he said. “I’m not joking.”
Ms. Welker asked Mr. Trump whether he had been presented with plans, and he said that he had not — but added that there were “methods which you could do it.”
Ms. Welker suggested one possibility: having Vice President JD Vance at the top of the ticket in 2028, only to pass the office on to Mr. Trump after winning. Mr. Trump acknowledged “that’s one” way it could happen.
“But there are others too,” he said. “There are others.” Mr. Trump declined to say what those could be.
Derek T. Muller, a law professor at the University of Notre Dame and a scholar in election law, said there has been a dissenting view about the provision of the 22nd Amendment — which focuses on being “elected” president without addressing the idea of ascending to the office. However, he said, such a route would be complicated by the 12th Amendment.
Mr. Muller pointed out that the 12th Amendment states that “no person constitutionally ineligible to the office of president shall be eligible to that of vice-president of the United States.”
Mr. Muller said he very much doubted that would provide a path to a third term for Mr. Trump.
“You’d have to have so many pieces fall into place for this even to be practically viable, on top of this complicated legal theory,” he said.
Speaking with reporters aboard Air Force One later on Sunday, Mr. Trump attempted to deflect questions about his earlier statements that he was open to seeking a third term. He repeatedly said that he didn’t want to talk about it, but reiterated that many people have asked him to.
When asked if that meant he would not leave office in January 2029, Mr. Trump said: “I’m not looking at that.”
