Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) on Monday said he believes that President Trump is “messing with” his opponents and the media with his remarks about the possibility of seeking a third term in 2028 despite the 22nd Amendment.
Thune told reporters that despite Trump’s insistence that he is “not joking” about a third White House term, he is likely using the opportunity to make light of the chatter.
“Not without a change in the Constitution,” Thune told reporters.
“You guys keep asking the question, and I think he’s probably having some fun with it, probably messing with you,” Thune added.
The comments came on the heels of Trump’s Sunday remarks, during which he said that there are potential workarounds to allow him to serve a third term.
“A lot of people want me to do it,” Trump said, nodding to his supporters. “But, I mean, I basically tell them we have a long way to go, you know, it’s very early in the administration. … I’m focused on the current.”
When pressed to clarify, Trump maintained he was “not joking” and told the network that there are “methods which you could do it.”
Trump pointed to a situation in which Vice President Vance runs for and wins the White House and passes off the job to him, even though that is expressly prohibited by the 12th Amendment.
“But there are others, too,” Trump added, declining to delve deeper or list any further options.
Any constitutional change could only be made with from two-thirds support of each house of Congress or two-thirds of the states calling a constitutional convention to lay out possible actions. An additional three-quarters of states would also be needed to ratify the amendment.
