Mike Johnson appeared to put the brakes on Donald Trump running for a third term in 2028, noting the Constitution stands between the president and another stint in the White House.
Trump has said in recent interviews that he’s open to being president for more than eight years.
‘A lot of people want me to do it,’ the 78-year-old president said on Meet the Press this past Sunday.
Johnson, the Speaker of the House and a Constitutional lawyer, was asked if there was a legal path to Trump winning and if he would support the president if he ran again.
He said that there ‘is a Constitutional path’ but that road requires you to ‘amend the Constitution to do it.’
‘And that’s a high bar,’ he added, ultimately claiming that he believes Trump understands that.
However, Johnson said that he has discussed this with Trump in private, and said that he takes him at his word.
‘I understand why so many Americans do wish that he could run for a third term, because he’s accomplishing so much in this first 100 days that they wish it could go on for much longer,’ Johnson said.
Mike Johnson (pictured) appeared to put the brakes on Donald Trump running for a third term in 2028, noting the Constitution stands between the president and another stint in the White House
Trump has said in recent interviews that he’s open to being president for more than eight years
Johnson also argued that there’s no current movement to amend the Constitution but at least one member of the GOP has started a pathway to Trump being able to run one more time.
Just three days into Trump’s second term, Rep. Andy Ogles, a Tennessee Republican, sent out a proposal to amend the 22nd Amendment to open the door for a Trump third term.
Ogles’ Constitutional amendment would allow for Trump to run for a third term – but prohibit Obama from doing so, because the Democrat had already served two consecutive terms.
The other former two-term living presidents, Republican George W. Bush and Democrat Bill Clinton, also wouldn’t be eligible if this amendment was passed.
‘No person shall be elected to the office of the President more than three times, nor be elected to any additional term after being elected to two consecutive term,’ the text of the Ogles’ Amendment read.
There’s an incredibly high bar to pass a Constitutional amendment – as two-thirds of both the House and Senate would need to sign on – as well as three-fourths of the state legislatures.
With the current nearly 50/50 split in the country of Republicans and Democrats it’s extremely unlikely an amendment of this kind would pass – especially one that only aims to allow Trump to serve thrice.
Yet the topic of a Trump third term again came up over the weekend, when the president talked to NBC Meet the Press host Kristen Welker by phone Sunday morning.
Johnson also argued that there’s no current movement to amend the Constitution but at least one member of the GOP – Tennessee Rep. Andy Ogles – has started a pathway to Trump being able to run one more time
Trump was asked about his comments to NBC News about serving a third term while on board Air Force One Sunday, returning to Washington, D.C. after spending the weekend at Mar-a-Lago
‘A lot of people want me to do it,’ the 78-year-old president said.
A chant of ‘four more years’ broke out at the White House last week during the president’s Greek Independence Day event.
‘But, I mean, I basically tell them we have a long way to go, you know, it’s very early in the administration,’ he continued. ‘I’m focused on the current.’
When asked why he’d want another term, the president responded, ‘I like working.’
‘I’m not joking,’ he continued. ‘But I’m not – it is far too early to think about it.’
He was then asked if he’d been presented with plans on how to serve a third term.
‘There are methods which you could do it,’ he said.
He was asked about those comments on board Air Force One Sunday as he traveled back to Washington, D.C.
‘I don’t want to talk about a third term now because no matter how you look at it, you’ve got a long time to go,’ Trump said.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt pushed Monday that reporters needed to calm their reactions to Trump’s third term musings.
‘You guys continue to ask the president this question about a third term and then he answers honestly and candidly with a smile and then everybody here melts down about his answer,’ Leavitt told reporters outside the White House Monday.
His comments have prompted concerns in light of Trump’s refusal to concede the 2020 election to President Joe Biden – which he still falsely claims was ‘totally rigged’ – and his role in the January 6, 2021 Capitol attack.
Leavitt had just gone on Fox News Channel’s America Reports, where she was asked about Trump’s third-term comments too, and gave as similar answer.
‘It’s funny to me that journalists ask the president this question. He gives an honest and candid answer, and then they spiral about his answer,’ Leavitt told Fox News Channel’s John Roberts.
‘He was asked this, and you heard him, and he’s right,’ she continued.
Leavitt said Americans are talking about a Trump third term because ‘people love the job this president is doing.’
‘We have four more years to go and look at what the president has done in more than 60 days,’ she said.