Donald Trump believes he can become president for a third term - and he’s WRONG. In case you missed the news, Trump told reporters on March 30 “there are methods” for him to serve a third term. When pressed for more info, he was vague, but we can figure out what he means from a few places.
First, NBC presented a hypothetical situation where JD Vance ran for office and passed the presidency off to “Vice President” Trump, to which Trump claimed that’s possible, but “there are others, too.” And what do these “others” entail?
Well, that’s where the Daily Mail comes in with the claim that there’s a “loophole” within the 22nd Amendment that would make it so Trump could serve two terms.
Over at NPR, Hansi Lo Wang writes about how Dwight Eisenhower, who was the first U.S. president to be constitutionally barred from running for a third term, actually talked about this loophole back in 1960, saying, "You know, the only thing I know about the presidency the next time is this: I can't run. But someone has raised the question that were I invited, could I constitutionally run for vice president, and you might find out about that one.”
It sounds stupid, but the argument’s out there being made by a lot of really smart people that not only is it possible - it’s PROBABLY going to happen.
But you know how it all just SOUNDS so stupid? That’s because it IS stupid. Trump told NBC that he's not joking about any of this, but he also wouldn’t expand when pressed on how he could pull this off. Honest truth? I think this is the latest demonstration of the fact that Donald Trump does not give a single iota of a shit and/or fuck about the Constitution, nor the rights, liberties and freedoms that Americans have that are safeguarded by the Constitution. It's yet another example of him thinking he is the law, and that checks and balances shouldn't apply to him - including the most prestigious of all checks and balances, the Constitution.
I don't think that he will end up securing a third term, even if he does try. And the reason I'd say that is because I think this will be rejected by the American people in 2028 as well as the fact that he's beyond the average life expectancy of a male his age. But if you want an empirical reason for why Trump can’t, say, exploit the Constitution to make this happen, then let me direct you BACK to the Constitution. Specifically, the 12th Amendment, which established the Electoral College.
“No person constitutionally ineligible to the office of President shall be eligible to that of Vice-President of the United States."
Donald Trump wants to keep his base energized for the rest of his life. This is all gold-plated smoke and mirrors - and the smoke sure smells a lot like bullshit.
DEBATE LIKE DEAN
Let’s just say you’re having dinner with your dad, and he starts yapping about what an amazing job Trump is doing with the economy. “My dear humble Substack reader of a son, these Trump tariffs are glorious,” he says between bites of his steak. Before you even get the chance to answer, he grumbles beneath his breath “Damn Soros stole that Wisconsin election. Trump’s sure gonna fix it all in his seventeenth term.”
You know he’s wrong about, well, ALL of this, but you also know that the road ahead is dark and treacherous: political talk with dad can be a bit of a pain in the ass, and you’re not sure you can change his mind.
So what do you do?
You’re never going to find a “one size fits all” method for any debate, especially with your parents, but here are a few tips you can follow to make sure you can at least hold your own in a discussion about these topics.
NEVER LOSE YOUR COOL: These aren’t always going to be easy conversations, especially if you’re debating with your family about something super brain rotty, like Trump claiming he can win a third term in office. Stay calm, and provide the facts as they’re laid out here. Your dad may claim he can win because of the 22nd Amendment. Respond that the 12th Amendment is at odds with the language of the 22nd. Eventually, the two of you will enter a semantics loop if you keep going back and forth, so your best bet is to remind him that without two-thirds of Congress and a 75% states ratification, it’s impossible for Trump to get his way on this issue.
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RELATED READING
Alan Jaffe - Legal Scholars Dispute Constitutional ‘Loophole’ for a Third Trump Term - FactCheck.Org
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