Claim:Trump ‘would love’ unconstitutional third term but rules out running for VP

Question

Presidents are constitutionally limited to two elected terms but some had suggested unorthodox gambit to stay in office. This article is implying that trump would be willing to bend the rules in order for himself to benefit, however, it is stated that he doesn't think that this third term would be right and even if he could he would not run for VP. This article is using buzz words such as unconstitutional to paint the story in a different light. However, trump is rejecting the idea of a third term in office as vice president.

Answer 1

This statement is true. On Monday, October 27th, 2025, Donald Trump told reporters on Air Force One that he would "would love" to serve a third time in office despite the constitution disallowing it, this according to the New York Times. The BBC also reported Trump's statement, although also mentioned that he would not use the VP loophole in order to serve a third term. Trump describe this route as "too cute" but that it "would not be right". However, it is important to note that among Trump's supporters there is talk about him serving a third term. Steve Bannon, Trump's former chief strategist during his first term, said that there was a plan in place for Trump to serve a third term and that people "ought to just get accommodated to it". 

The source linked above is an article from The Guardian does support this claim, and is generally considered a very reliable source. Notably, the article reported that Trump did in fact think that there was a way for him serve a third term, saying that he'd "be allowed to do that" and falsely claimed that his approval ratings were at an all time high thus giving him the political support to do so. 

Sources:

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/10/27/us/politics/trump-mri-third-term.html

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c797q57ple9o

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/oct/27/donald-trump-third-term-vice-president

Answer 2

Recent reports confirm that former President Donald Trump said he would “love” to serve a third term, despite the U.S. Constitution explicitly limiting presidents to two. According to coverage from The New York Times and BBC News, Trump made this remark to reporters aboard Air Force One on October 27, 2025. The BBC also noted that Trump dismissed the idea of using what some call the “vice president loophole,” describing it as “too cute” and “not right.” Although he appeared to acknowledge the constitutional restriction, his comments have fueled ongoing speculation among his supporters about the possibility of a third term. Steve Bannon, Trump’s former chief strategist, even claimed that there was a “plan” for Trump to serve again, telling audiences that people should “get accommodated” to the idea.

Still, while Trump’s comments and Bannon’s statements have stirred political conversation, there is no legal basis for a third presidential term under current U.S. law. The 22nd Amendment, ratified in 1951, clearly prohibits anyone from being elected president more than twice. Discussions among Trump supporters and conservative media figures reflect enthusiasm for his continued influence, but constitutional scholars agree that serving a third term would be unlawful without a formal amendment to the Constitution. In short, Trump may have expressed his desire and some allies may talk about it openly, but the claim that he could or will serve a third term remains legally impossible for now.

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c797q57ple9o

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/oct/27/donald-trump-third-term-vice-president

Answer 3

This claim is true. Trump is loving the power he has right now, and would love to keep it going for as long as he can. House Speaker Mike Johnson claims that it would be impossible for Trump to stay for another term as president. According to an article from PBS News, “The speaker described how the Constitution’s 22nd Amendment does not allow for a third presidential term and changing that, with a new amendment, would be a cumbersome, decade-long process winning over states and votes in Congress” (PBS News, 2025). This shows that although Trump wants to stay another term, or even multiple more terms, he can’t. Also even if he changed a law that made it so he could stay another term, like Mike Johnson stated it would take too long and would have to win too many people over. So the likelihood of Trump being able to run for a 3rd term is basically impossible. On the other hand, Trump  is trolling audiences. Even though he knows he technically can’t run for a third term, he and people on the internet are not ruling it out and are kind of subtly rubbing into people’s faces. Steve Bannon, a former chief strategist of Trump claimed that Trump’s third term was a certainty. According to NPR, Bannon claimed “ ‘Well, he’s going to get a third term,’ Bannon said in a recent interview with The Economist. ‘Trump is going to be president in ’28 and people just ought to get accommodated with that’ ”(NPR, 2025). This is concerning because even though it is legally impossible, it is being spread around that there is a chance, and according to Bannon basically a certainty. Just because this is said obviously doesn’t mean there is actually a chance that this is possible. Also thoughts of a way that Trump could keep his hand in office would be to run for vice president under JD Vance in the next election. When asked about this, Trump’s answer was clear. According to PBS News, “‘I think the people wouldn’t like that,’ Trump said of running for vice president. ‘It’s too cute. It’s not, it wouldn’t be right.’”(PBS News, 2025). It's very apparent that Trump is not going to run as vice president. This backs up the original claim that I am responding to is true.Trump would love to run for a third term, but will not run as vice president.

 

Lebowitz, M. (2025, October 29). Trump says “it’s pretty clear” he can’t run for a third term. NBCNews.com. https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/trump-rule-out-third-term-constitutional-amendment-rcna240438 

Megerian, C., & Mascaro, L. (2025, October 29). Trump says “it’s too bad” he can’t run for a third term. PBS. https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/trump-says-its-too-bad-he-cant-run-for-a-third-term 

 

Answer 4

Looking into the claim that “Trump would love an unconstitutional third term but rules out running for VP,” I found this to be mostly true but exaggerated by the way it’s phrased. After reading the PBS article, Trump did say it’s “too bad” he can’t run for a third term and admitted that the Constitution doesn’t allow it. He also mentioned that running as vice president would be “too cute” and said he wouldn’t do that either. So the facts check out he did express that he’d like to serve longer but clearly recognized that the law doesn’t allow it.

What stood out to me is how headlines can take a real quote and spin it to sound way more dramatic than it actually was. The PBS article shows he was joking around with reporters and making casual comments, not actually trying to break constitutional rules. The News Detective claim adds words like “unconstitutional” and “would love” that make it sound like he was seriously planning to go around the system. That kind of wording shapes how people react, even when the details say otherwise.

Doing this one reminded me how media framing can make a normal statement seem extreme. It’s not that the claim was fake it just left out tone and context, which matter a lot. News Detective made it easy to cross-check what he actually said and what the Constitution says about term limits. I feel like this assignment really trains you to read past the surface and notice when language is being used to grab attention rather than to tell the full truth.

https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/trump-says-its-too-bad-he-cant-run-for-a-third-term

Answer 5

This claim comes from the Guardian, a fairly well-known and reputable source to begin with. This article states that, when referring to the possibility of a third term, Trump "would love to do it." He said that he had his "best numbers ever," indicating his presumption of success in a hypothetical third term. But the 22nd Amendment of the US Constitution bars anyone from running for a third term. In response to this, many have floated the unorthodox idea that Trump run as Vice President under JD Vance's campaign, who would then resign and allow Trump to step up to the Presidential position. In response to inquiries about running for VP, Trump states that he "wouldn't do that," that he "would rule that out," and that "it wouldn't be right." 

NBC News corroborates Trump's stance against running for VP. While NBC did not investigate his quote about "loving" to run for a third term, it did mention that on Wednesday, Oct. 29, Trump admitted that it's "pretty clear" he is not allowed to run for a third term. In supposedly ruling out running for a third term while also claiming that a run for VP wouldn't be right, it seems that Trump will not be vying for President in 2028. https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/trump-rule-out-third-term-constitutional-amendment-rcna240438

Reuters, another reputable news source, corroborates both claims that Trump "would love to" but will not be attempting presidency through the avenue of running for VP, since it "wouldn't be right." Reuters actually follows "Trust Principles," established in 1941, that require all employees to "act at all times with integrity, independence, and freedom from bias." https://www.reuters.com/world/us/trump-says-he-would-not-run-vice-president-2028-2025-10-27/

Again, the New York Times has evidence of Trump's claim to "love to" run for a third term, but that it is "not allowed," and that the approach through running for VP is "ruled out" and "wouldn't be right." https://www.nytimes.com/2025/10/29/us/politics/third-term-limit.html

PBS News also shares Trump's expressed interest in a third term, followed by his claim that while he'd "be allowed" to run for VP, he "wouldn't do that." https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/trump-says-its-too-bad-he-cant-run-for-a-third-term

Nearly every article I read similarly establishes claims of Trump loving the idea of a third term, claiming that it could be successful and that it may not be ruled out. Each article subsequently explains the unconstitutionality of a third term, followed by Trump's more recent admissions that a third term is simply not possible. They then go on to quote Trump's claims that he does not support the idea of running for Vice President. 

It seems clear that the claim is true that Trump does love the idea of an unconstitutional third term, but that he will not be pursuing the presidency by running for VP (or by attempting to run at all, it may be reasonably assumed). I have additionally added the YouTube clip where Trump states that he would not run for VP, but that he may love a third term. https://www.google.com/search?sca_esv=bc0aa39c15f4c826&rlz=1C5CHFA_enUS917US917&sxsrf=AE3TifOw2o1EqSg38n44kEvNrihBYvUDXw:1761869957651&udm=39&fbs=AIIjpHxU7SXXniUZfeShr2fp4giZPH5QghoXViUOqdFyhkUfHhA90f6RZnLvcDKUWyhDavEB0GGDOT3-g6-c9W8Pjy1gZAXDnqFJqVXLvD0e_AkTILB1bpX2xQHajXok6NJfp0bhrLs6Y1KmscZmWkoPPVR3ly53S0EAkj0i1284GSNZIyxrDS5syIS7rqefforhRhC9dhLahO8j5Gmjd_vLA6XsTICjPQ&q=trump+%E2%80%98would+love%E2%80%99+unconstitutional+third+term+but+rules+out+running+for+VP&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwi1jd2Hlc2QAxXeGTQIHY-XChkQs6gLegQIEhAB&biw=1440&bih=778&dpr=2#fpstate=ive&ip=1&vld=cid:57998dd9,vid:Zgawn8_s9Y0,st:0

Answer 6

This claim is true. Trump was quoted in multiple articles, including ones by Fox News, the BBC, and NPR, that he "would love" to run for a third term but would not run as a Vice Presidential Candidate as a loophole way, saying it would be "too cute."

Despite the 22nd Amendment of the Constitution stating that no President shall be elected for more than two terms, Trump, members of his administration, as well as supporters have not completely shot down running for a third term. In an interview with The Economist, former Trump adviser Steve Bannon said "Trump is going to be president in '28, and people ought to just get accommodated with that," (BBC). While Trump himself has not directly confirmed this, he has not denied it either.

Speaker of the House Mike Johnson did tell reporters that Trump was not serious about running for a third term and was instead "trolling" liberals and Democrats (Fox News). Johnson has stated that "There is the 22nd Amendment" and that he does not see path towards amending that any time soon.

Looking at three sources that span across the political spectrum, (NPR, BBC, and Fox News) I was able to determine that yes, Trump "would love" to run for a third term and that he would not want to do so by running as a Vice President. It should also be noted that one of Trump's responses to being asked if he would run for a third term was "And you know, based on what I read, I guess I'm not allowed to run. So we'll see what happens," (NPR).

Sources:

https://www.foxnews.com/politics/johnson-pressed-trump-2028-points-constitution-no-path-third-term-presidency

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c797q57ple9o

https://www.npr.org/2025/10/30/nx-s1-5590293/trump-2028-third-term-constitution

Answer 7

It is true that President Donald Trump said that he 'would love' to pursue a third term, aboard Air Force One bound for Japan on Monday. He has oscillated postures on this topic various times, saying to CNBC in March that he was 'not joking' about running again for president and insisted 'there are methods.’ In August, however, in an interview with reporters from CNBC's 'Squawk Box' morning program, he responded to questions on whether he would run again. "No, probably not," the president said. "Probably not, I'd like to." In terms of methods to achieve a third term that passes constitutional muster to the current federal judiciary, populated by a majority of Trump appointees at the appellate level and a conservative supermajority in SCOTUS, Republicans have floated the idea of Trump running as a vice president to gain access to the presidency again. A 2015 Boston College Law Review article examined this exact situation and determined that such a path has a legal basis. However, Trump explicitly said he 'would rule that out', referring to running as vice president, despite the fact he believes it would be allowed, because it's 'too cute' and 'people wouldn't like that.’ Meanwhile, Steve Bannon, former Trump cabinet member and Breitbart executive, asserted in an interview with The Economist a week ago that Trump is ‘going to be president in ‘28’ and that ‘people just ought to get accommodated with that.’ Mike Johnson, Republican House Speaker, referred to President Trump’s public musings about a third term as ‘trolling’ when asked on October 28. Johnson said that the president knows 'the constrictions of the Constitution' and that he and the House Speaker had discussed the topic together. Johnson further addressed the idea of amending the Constitution to repeal the 22nd Amendment as it prohibits the election of a person who has served two terms in the presidential office,  as unfeasible, citing time constraints. “I don’t see a way to amend the Constitution, because it takes about 10 years to do that, as you all know, to allow all the states to ratify … what two-thirds of the House, three-fourth of the states would approve. So I don’t, I don’t see the path for that.” Finally on the 29th aboard Air Force One bound for South Korea, President Trump was asked his opinion on Johnson’s statements the day prior. He said ‘it’s pretty clear’ that he’s not eligible for reelection. He lamented this saying it’s ‘sad’ and it’s ‘too bad’ on account of a claim to his administration polling highly despite a poll by The Economist and YouGov showing a new low for the president’s second term. When asked about the House Speaker referring to the president’s third term comments as trolling, President Trump replied: “I don’t think he [Mike Johnson] said that,” Trump said. “I don’t think he used that term.” Ultimately, the president and members of the Republican party have expressed contradicting ideas surrounding this topic, but it is true that Trump has at times shown interest in a third term.
2. The first source is a video published on the official White House YouTube channel that demonstrates that the president did say that he ‘would love’ to pursue a third term. The second source is an article reporting on a phone interview NBC news conducted with the president confirming that he was ‘not joking’ about a third term. The third is an interview transcript with the CNBC ‘Squawk Box’ that showed the president may have changed his mind. The fourth is a Pew Research Center article showing the prominence of Trump Appointees in the upper levels of the federal judiciary.  The fifth is a Boston College Law review article that outlines a way for one to serve a third term in office legally. The sixth is an interview with Steve Bannon demonstrating that other Republican Party affiliates are set on a third Trump term. The seventh is a video published on the official C-SPAN YouTube channel showing that House Speaker Johnson had discussed the topic with the president and determined he was ‘trolling.’ The eighth is another White House YouTube video showing that the president concluded he was not allowed to run for a third term. The ninth is a poll by The Economist and YouGov demonstrating the low approval of the current Trump administration.
The White House YouTube channel may have an interest in posting only videos that feature the president favorably. CNBC is a known liberal-leaning news network that may interview the president so as to paint him negatively. The same goes with the ‘Squawk Box’ program. The Pew Research Center is unlikely to have bias. Boston College Law review is a well-regarded Law Review journal without a known partisan tilt. The Economist explicitly describes in the description of this interview that Bannon is someone the editorial staff at The Economist disagree with and thus may harbor bias against fair portrayal. C-SPAN is a neutral institution that publishes footage of Congressional proceedings and is unlikely to harbor bias. YouGov polling is unlikely to be biased. Video evidence of Trump expressing interest in a third term supports the claim, but his own previous comments and those of his affiliates undermine them.

President Trump could not be reached for comment.

Answer 8

After looking at the initial claim that Donald Trump is interested in an unconstitutional third term, I did a deep dive into what source that published this political information. The claim was published by The Guardian, a reliable and openly center to left-leaning publication site. Their agenda is to promote independent ownership journalism to spread the truth among the media. This current article was discussing the current political state of the white house, and how the unconstitutionality of the situation is dangerous.

It is important to do your own research, however. So I looked for other outlets that were posting similar content. I found that CNN posted an interview with Trump, and the quote said, "Trump has previously joked about running for a third term, and Trump 2028 hats are on display in a room near the Oval Office" (CNN, 2025). This is proof that he is currently contemplating the idea of running again, but has not confirmed it would be as Vice President.

When I looked further, I found that this quote was pulled from an original source of an interview with Steve Bannon. Bannon is a former chief White House strategist. While it has been documented that he is no longer closely associated with Trump or his new administration team, he is still close enough to interview him currently. In a video interview with The Economist, he discussed his proximity to the case and gave his opinion on the situation. He believes that he will be the president in 2028. Bannon states that "there are plans in place" and there are "ways to work around it" (The Economist, 2025). This is highly concerning and majorly unconstitutional. While the claim is scary, unfortunately, it may be true with the current state of the world.