By CHRIS MEGERIAN
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — President Donald Trump mentioned Sunday that “I’m not joking” about making an attempt to serve a 3rd time period, the clearest indication he’s contemplating methods to breach a constitutional barrier in opposition to persevering with to guide the nation after his second time period ends at first of 2029.
“There are strategies which you may do it,” Trump mentioned in a phone interview with NBC Information from Mar-a-Lago, his personal membership.
He elaborated later to reporters on Air Drive One from Florida to Washington that “I’ve had extra individuals ask me to have a 3rd time period, which in a method is a fourth time period as a result of the opposite election, the 2020 election was completely rigged.” Trump misplaced that election to Democrat Joe Biden.
Nonetheless, Trump added: “I don’t need to speak about a 3rd time period now as a result of irrespective of the way you take a look at it, we’ve acquired a very long time to go.”
The twenty second Modification, added to the Structure in 1951 after President Franklin D. Roosevelt was elected 4 instances in a row, says “no particular person shall be elected to the workplace of the President greater than twice.”
Any try to stay in workplace can be legally suspect and it’s unclear how significantly Trump would possibly pursue the thought. The feedback nonetheless have been a rare reflection of the need to keep up energy by a president who had violated democratic traditions 4 years in the past when he tried to overturn the election he misplaced to Biden.
“That is one more escalation in his clear effort to take over the federal government and dismantle our democracy,” mentioned a press release from Rep. Daniel Goldman, a New York Democrat who served as lead counsel for Trump’s first impeachment. “If Congressional Republicans consider within the Structure, they’ll go on the document opposing Trump’s ambitions for a 3rd time period.”
Steve Bannon, a former Trump strategist who runs the right-wing “Battle Room” podcast, known as for the president to run once more throughout a speech on the Conservative Political Motion Convention final month.
“We wish Trump in ’28,” he mentioned.
Kayla Thompson, a 30-year-old former paralegal in Wisconsin, mentioned she would “completely” like Trump to serve one other time period.
“America wants him. America is headed in the best path and, if he doesn’t do it, we’re most likely headed backwards,” mentioned Thompson, who was attending a marketing campaign occasion Sunday with Elon Musk in Inexperienced Bay for a state Supreme Court docket race.
Jeremy Paul, a constitutional regulation professor at Boston’s Northeastern College, mentioned “there are not any credible authorized arguments for him to run for a 3rd time period.”
NBC’s Kristen Welker requested Trump if one potential avenue to a 3rd time period was having Vice President JD Vance run for the highest job and “then cross the baton to you.”
“Effectively, that’s one,” Trump responded. “However there are others too. There are others.”
“Are you able to inform me one other?” Welker requested.
“No,” Trump replied.
Vance’s workplace didn’t instantly reply to a request for remark from The Related Press.
Derek Muller, a professor of election regulation at Notre Dame, famous that the twelfth Modification, which was ratified in 1804, says “no particular person constitutionally ineligible to the workplace of President shall be eligible to that of Vice-President of america.”
Muller mentioned that signifies that if Trump isn’t eligible to run for president once more due to the twenty second Modification, he’s not eligible to run for vice chairman, both.
“I don’t suppose there’s any ‘one bizarre trick’ to getting round presidential time period limits,” Muller mentioned.
As well as, pursuing a 3rd time period would require extraordinary acquiescence by federal and state officers, to not point out the courts and voters themselves.
He urged that Trump is speaking a few third time period for political causes to “present as a lot power as attainable.”
“A lame-duck president like Donald Trump has each incentive on the planet to make it appear to be he’s not a lame duck,” he mentioned.
Trump, who can be 82 on the finish of his second time period, was requested whether or not he would need to hold serving in “the hardest job within the nation” at that time.
“Effectively, I like working,” the president mentioned.
Trump urged that Individuals would associate with a 3rd time period due to his recognition. He falsely claimed to have “the best ballot numbers of any Republican for the final 100 years.”
Gallup knowledge exhibits President George W. Bush reaching a 90% approval score after the assaults on Sept. 11, 2001. His father, President George H.W. Bush, hit 89% following the Gulf Battle in 1991.
Trump has maxed out at 47% in Gallup knowledge throughout his second time period, regardless of claiming to be “within the excessive 70s in lots of polls, in the true polls.”
Trump has mused earlier than about serving longer than two phrases earlier than, typically with jokes to pleasant audiences.
“Am I allowed to run once more?” he mentioned throughout a Home Republican retreat in January.
Representatives for the congressional management — Home Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., Home Democratic chief Hakeem Jeffries of New York, Senate Majority Chief John Thune, R-S.D., and Senate Democratic chief Chuck Schumer of New York — didn’t instantly reply to requests for remark from the AP.
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Related Press writers Tom Beaumont in Inexperienced Bay, Wisconsin, and Gary Fields in Washington contributed to this report.
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