Former President Donald Trump is once again suggesting a bid for the White House, despite constitutional limitations. On Thursday evening, he posted on Truth Social, asking, “RECORD NUMBERS ALL OVER THE PLACE! SHOULD I TRY FOR A FOURTH TERM?”
A Fourth Term? The Constitution Says No.
The 22nd Amendment to the U.S. Constitution explicitly limits presidents to two terms in office.
- The 22nd Amendment prevents Trump from legally serving another term.
- Trump and his allies have previously hinted at strategies to circumvent the term limit.
- Merchandise promoting a 2028 Trump run has already been sold by the Trump Organization.
- Recent polls indicate a mixed public view of Trump’s performance and the direction of the country.
The U.S. Constitution’s 22nd Amendment is clear: “No person shall be elected to the office of the President more than twice, and no person who has held the office of President, or acted as President, for more than two years of a term to which some other person was elected President shall be elected to the office of the President more than once.” Despite this, the idea of Trump seeking a third term has gained traction among some supporters.
Past Hints and Future Plans
Last year, the Trump Organization began selling “Trump 2028” hats and t-shirts emblazoned with “Trump 2028 (Rewrite the Rules),” signaling a potential campaign. In October, Trump told reporters he “would love to” run again, responding to questions about ruling it out with, “Am I not ruling it out? I mean, you’ll have to tell me.”
His former chief strategist, Steve Bannon, has also publicly supported the idea of Trump running again. Speaking to The Economist, Bannon alluded to a “plan” to bypass the 22nd Amendment, stating there were “many different alternatives” that would be revealed “at the appropriate time.”
A “Fourth Term” Claim
Trump has previously suggested a third term would effectively be his “fourth term,” claiming the 2020 election was “totally rigged.” He has repeatedly promoted unsubstantiated conspiracy theories about the 2020 election results.
Poll Numbers Tell a Complex Story
Despite his claims of “record numbers,” recent polls paint a more nuanced picture. An AP-NORC poll from earlier this month found that approximately 4 in 10 U.S. adults approve of Trump’s performance during his second term. A majority—56%—disapprove of his handling of key issues like the economy, immigration, federal government management, and the cost of living, according to a New York Times-Siena poll released on Thursday.
The Times-Siena poll also revealed that about 49% of respondents believe the U.S. is worse off than it was a year ago, before Trump’s second term began, while less than a third feel the country is doing better.
Trump responded to the Times-Siena poll on social media, dismissing it as “fake” and announcing plans to include it in a lawsuit against the publication.
