The previously undebatable topic on whether President Donald Trump can seek a third term in office is gaining increasing prevalence, mainly due to the Republican himself.
Trump has long suggested he might consider running in the 2028 election, despite the Constitution stating no person can be elected to office more than twice. These past comments from Trump have often appeared to be in jest, or just an excuse to excite his loyal fan base during public speaking.
However, Trump has ramped up the rhetoric, telling NBC’s Kristen Welker in late March he was “not joking” about considering a third term in office, adding there are “methods which you could do it.”
While only a few months into Trump’s second term, a number of experts and political commentators have told Newsweek the possible implications of Trump being in the White House in 2029 and beyond.
The reactions have ranged from suggesting it would cause the end of American Democracy all together to outright rejecting the possibility.
Photo-illustration by Newsweek/Getty
What a Third Donald Trump Term Could Look Like
Jeremiah Chin, an assistant professor at the University of Washington School of Law who specializes in constitutional law
“A Trump third term would look unlike any version of the United States under the Constitution as we know it. A third term would require an extraordinary change in constitutional law and societal circumstances to create a situation in which all powers of government are suddenly vested in one person creating a form of dictatorship unlike anything seen in United States history. Were he to impose a third term in direct contradiction to the Constitution, particularly the long-standing history and traditions of the executive branch and codified in the 22nd Amendment, Trump would likely be emboldened to push any agenda he deems fit, and likely attempt to suppress the opposition, protest, or even pure speech that would inevitably arise.
“It is hard to understate that such an unprecedented seizure of federal power would likely be legally disastrous for public dissent and demonstrations, given the President’s extensive rhetoric demonizing opposition.”
Philip Klinkner, Hamilton College professor of government
“If Trump somehow manages to stay in office beyond the end of his second term in 2029, then we will need to close the book on American democracy. It will show that there are no longer any laws, practices, or institutions that can contain him.
“And if Trump can stay in office past 2029, then we might as well declare him ‘President for Life,’ similar to the title given to several African dictators.”
Phil Chen, assistant professor of political science at the University of Denver
“My first thought is that a third term would require the U.S. to be in one of two scenarios. Either the economy is doing well and the public is not particularly unhappy with the other cuts and changes made to the federal government, which allows Republicans to install President Trump into a third term using a questionably legal but still marginally democratic process, such as electing a stand-in president and vice president, winning the House of Representatives, electing Trump as speaker, then having the president and vice president resign and using the order of succession to have Trump become president.
“Under this scenario, you still have a nominal/theoretical majority of the country that is voting in reasonably fair and free elections for the continuation of these policies. In this case, I think you likely see a continuation of the current economic policies and domestic/foreign policy strategies, but perhaps not an escalation of any of the threats. I think you’d likely see protests and court cases, but in order for this scenario to play out, it would have to be well-known to voters long before the election, so the protests would be ongoing and the fight would likely occur largely in the courts after the scenario plays out.
“If we see this scenario, I think we would still see protests being allowed against Trump, but the punishments for those who are not U.S. citizens would be severe and the threat of punishment would likely quiet some of the protests. I think we’d see continuing harsh immigration policies, isolationist foreign policy, and domestic policies that address similar concerns we see now around DEI, gender equity, university funding, etc.
“The second scenario is more frightening from a democratic health perspective, because it would involve some type of successful attempt to circumvent the will of the voters and a refusal to peacefully transfer power. I don’t know what this looks like, whether it is a military coup, a captured and threatened institution like the Secret Service or FBI preventing an inauguration, or the enacting of martial law and the cancellation of the 2028 election. I don’t know what the specifics of this scenario would look like, but it is frightening and likely spells the end of American democracy for the foreseeable future. In this scenario, I think you would see large-scale protests as well as crippling economic sanctions from other democracies. It’s the type of action that would fundamentally change the nature of America and, while I think it is unlikely, I no longer think it is impossible.”
T.J. McCormack, Republican communications specialist
“Trump going for a path to a third term—even talking about finding a potential path—will fuel the fire for all the leftist conspiracy theorists who have been predicting this for months. Just in terms of timing, there is no need to do it now. If President Trump and his team believe they are in the process of making America greater, healthier and stronger then why not let all those results come in and maybe Americans will beg him to find a way to stay?”
Gary Rose, a professor of political science at Sacred Heart University
“Although Trump’s approval numbers as of right now are higher than they were during his first term, it is very likely that by the end of his current term there will be ‘Trump fatigue’ as there so often is with two-term presidents. The vast majority of the American people in contemporary times, with the exception of a small percentage of hard core MAGA voters, would not be in favor of a third-term presidency, regardless of who it is, or regardless of what has been accomplished. The country’s political culture prevents this. Moreover, Trump will be in his early 80s at that point. People need to understand that Trump enjoys making controversial statements that rattle the press and his opponents; that’s his style. I seriously doubt that he has intentions to run again.
“That said, should this actually occur and Trump [is] elected again, a third Trump presidency would still be subject to the system of checks and balances that James Madison and other Founders put in place. The fact that a president serves a third term, or even a fourth term, does not somehow negate the constitutional framework all presidents must operate under. That has already been proven with Franklin D. Roosevelt. The Constitution itself mitigates the dark scenarios his opponents are advancing involving a Trump third term.”
Nicole Brenecki, legal analyst and political commentator
“If Trump indeed finds a way to bypass the Constitution and secures a third term, the most logical assumption would be that he will tailor his strategies and actions to the specific issues we are facing as a country at that time. Trump now claims that some of his current policies, particularly those pertaining to the economy and foreign policy, will take time to have a meaningful effect. If that is the case, the third term would allow him to build upon those policies.
“Realistically speaking, however, we have no guarantee that the myriad of executive orders he is currently issuing will have any long-lasting impact and, as such, it is virtually impossible to predict what his third term would look like.”
Jay Oliver, political commentator and LI News Radio host
“Trump running for a third term not only goes against the Constitution, but more importantly, could go against ‘father time.’
“Would we be pondering the Joe Biden aspect of the latter years of 82-86. It’s possible, but who is to really know? Cognitively speaking, it could be a disaster. Common sense thinking would be not even to bring up such nonsense at this point, we’re not even at the 100-day mark of his second term. Let’s not have an egomaniacal look at this point. Best would be to help try to solve the world’s problems and set the stage for the next president to carry on accordingly.”
