President Donald Trump on Sunday said that he is “not joking” about recent talk of him potentially seeking a third term in office, although such a move would likely face significant legal hurdles.
“A lot of people want me to do it,” Trump told NBC News on Sunday morning. “But, I mean, I basically tell them we have a long way to go, you know, it’s very early in the administration.”
When asked about whether he is serious or joking about the third term comments, Trump said, “I’m not joking.”
“It is far too early to think about it,” he said, adding elsewhere in the interview that he is “focused on the current” term in office.
Since taking office, Trump has, on multiple occasions, suggested that he wants to run for a third term, which could pose a legal challenge, because the 22nd Amendment of the U.S. Constitution states “no person shall be elected to the office of the President more than twice.” That amendment was ratified in 1951 after President Franklin D. Roosevelt was elected four consecutive times. Roosevelt was the only president in U.S. history to be elected to either a third or fourth term.
Days after Trump took office in January, Rep. Andy Ogles (R-Tenn.) proposed an amendment to the Constitution that could allow presidents to be elected for three terms. However, amending the Constitution would require two-thirds of Congress members to vote for its approval, which would then have to be ratified by three-fourths of state Legislatures.
A reporter just asked President Trump about a third term.
— Grace Chong, MBI (@gc22gc) March 31, 2025
Trump: We’ve got a long way to go—almost four years—but despite that, so many people are saying, ‘You’ve got to run again.’ Most importantly, they love the job we’re doing. pic.twitter.com/afAXJiDABD
Explaining why he would want to seek a third term, Trump said that, “You have to start by saying, I have the highest poll numbers of any Republican for the last 100 years.”
“We’re in the high 70s in many polls, in the real polls, and you see that. And, and you know, we’re very popular,” Trump said.
When asked about how he could be elected to a third term, Trump told NBC News there might be ways to do so.
NBC’s Kristen Welker then provided him with a hypothetical situation: “Well, let me throw out one where President Vance would run for office and then would, basically ... if he won, at the top of the ticket, would then pass the baton to you.”
In response, Trump said, “Well, that’s one. But there are others, too. There are others.”
“Can you tell me another?” Welker asked Trump. “No,” he said.
The 12th Amendment, which was ratified in 1804, says that “no person constitutionally ineligible to the office of President shall be eligible to that of Vice-President of the United States.”
Also in the interview, Trump was asked about why he wants to continue to be president, which Welker described is “the toughest job in the country.”
“Well, I like working,” replied Trump, who would be 82 at the end of his current term.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
