Could Trump Get a Third Term? Law Professor Explains
President Donald Trump could not run for a third term, but he could be president a third time, according to Cornell law professor Bill Jacobson.
The 22nd Amendment to the U.S. Constitution is clear that no one can be elected to the office of the president “more than twice.”
“But there’s nothing in the Constitution that prohibits someone from serving a third term,” said Jacobson, founder and publisher of Legal Insurrection. If another candidate won the presidential election, and Trump was his or her vice presidential running mate, that candidate could step aside after winning the race and allow Trump to take over, according to Jacobson, who was quick to add he doesn’t endorse such an action.
While a deal made with a running mate for Trump to serve a third term “does not violate the Constitution,” Jacobson says, it “might violate the spirit of the Constitution.”
The intent of the 22nd Amendment is “that we not have a permanent president,” Jacobson said, adding that because of that, serving a third term “might be subject to challenge,” adding:
It might be subject to what was the original meaning of these terms. But on its face, there’s no barrier.
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