Trump Hints at Third Term: Because Democracy Was Just a Suggestion, Right?
Because the White House is a residence, not a retirement plan.
In his latest attempt to test the tensile strength of the U.S. Constitution, Donald J. Trump has been openly toying with the idea of running for a third presidential term — despite the 22nd Amendment saying, quite clearly, “No.” But when has clearly written law ever stopped anyone in politics?
“I think I’m entitled to a third term, maybe even a fourth,” Trump told supporters at a rally in Georgia, echoing previous statements where he mused that the 2020 election was “stolen” and that he was “entitled” to more time in office (BBC News, 2020).
While this isn’t the first time Trump has joked or implied a desire to stay beyond the legal limit, what’s scarier is that it’s not really a joke anymore.
The 22nd Amendment: An Inconvenient Truth
Ratified in 1951, the 22nd Amendment was America’s polite way of saying: “Thanks for your service, now please go away.” After FDR’s four terms, Congress decided that democracy works best when no one gets too comfortable in the world’s most powerful seat.
And yet, here we are, with a former president suggesting that maybe — just maybe — we give that Constitution another look. Maybe scribble out the bits that are “low energy.”
Ghostwritten Futures: A Note on ‘The Art of the Deal’
If Trump’s third-term aspirations were pulled from a book, it wasn’t the Constitution. It was more likely The Art of the Deal, a book he didn’t actually write. Ghostwriter Tony Schwartz later said, “I put lipstick on a pig,” and “I feel a deep sense of remorse” for helping craft the mythos around Trump (Blake, 2016).
So if we're basing constitutional revisions on Trump’s literary canon, we’re building a legal system on a foundation of ghostwritten ego.
Term Limits: What the Rest of the World Knows That We Don’t
Here’s what’s not a joke: countries with enforced term limits tend to perform better democratically than those without.
Ghana: With its two-term presidential limit, Ghana has had peaceful power transitions and a steadily maturing democracy (Lopez Lucia & Tull, 2023).
Turkey: President Erdoğan removed the Prime Minister role and consolidated executive power, eroding opposition and media freedom (Pitel & Schipani, 2023).
Belarus: Alexander Lukashenko, in power since 1994, continues to rig elections while jailing opposition figures, leading many to label him "Europe’s last dictator" (Heintz, 2024).
A study by the Africa Center for Strategic Studies found that nearly all recent coups on the continent occurred in countries where leaders had either extended or eliminated term limits (Africa Center for Strategic Studies, 2022).
Meanwhile, in America… We Can’t Even Agree on Retirement
Congress has no term limits. Some members have been in office since the Reagan administration. Or, to put it another way, they’ve been voting on climate policy longer than electric cars have existed.
And they win reelection at staggering rates — with incumbents holding about a 90% success rate (OpenSecrets.org, 2024). That’s not a democratic contest; that’s a lifetime appointment in business casual.
The Real Danger: Normalizing Power Hoarding
When leaders talk — even jokingly — about ignoring limits on power, it’s not harmless. It’s the opening act of a tired global show: rig elections, discredit the media, rewrite the rules, and boom — you’ve got a dictatorship with Wi-Fi.
Whether it's Trump or any other career politician, the issue isn't just who holds power — it's how long we let them cling to it. Term limits aren’t about hating politicians; they’re about loving democracy.
Conclusion: It’s Time for All the Dinosaurs to Go Home
If your congressperson has served longer than Blockbuster Video existed, it’s time to thank them for their service and rotate the stock. We don’t let milk sit on the shelf for 30 years, and politicians shouldn’t either.
So no, Trump can’t have a third term. And yes, we should be looking at all lifelong politicians with the same skeptical eye. Because democracy isn’t just about voting — it’s about ensuring no one gets to hold the mic forever.
References (APA 7th Edition):
Africa Center for Strategic Studies. (2022, October 14). Term limit evasions and coups in Africa: Two sides of the same coin. https://africacenter.org/spotlight/term-limit-evasions-coups-africa-same-coin/
BBC News. (2020, September 13). Trump suggests he could seek a third term. https://www.bbc.com/news/election-us-2020-54139143
Blake, A. (2016, July 18). Tony Schwartz, ghostwriter of The Art of the Deal, says Trump presidency would be ‘terrifying’. The Washington Post. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2016/07/18/ghostwriter-of-trumps-the-art-of-the-deal-says-he-feels-a-deep-responsibility-for-america/
Heintz, J. (2024, January 5). Belarus jails opposition leader’s wife as crackdown deepens. AP News. https://apnews.com/article/belarus-political-prisoners-opposition-2024
Lopez Lucia, E., & Tull, D. (2023). Presidential term limits in Africa and Latin America: Contested but resilient. GIGA German Institute of Global and Area Studies. https://www.giga-hamburg.de/en/publications/giga-focus/presidential-term-limits-africa-latin-america-contested-resilient/
National Constitution Center. (n.d.). Amendment XXII: Two-term limit on presidency. https://constitutioncenter.org/the-constitution/amendments/amendment-22-two-term-limit-on-presidency
OpenSecrets.org. (2024). Incumbent advantage in Congressional elections. https://www.opensecrets.org/elections-overview/incumbent-advantage
Pitel, L., & Schipani, A. (2023, December 20). Turkey arrests Istanbul mayor in blow to opposition hopes. Financial Times. https://www.ft.com/content/ddfe3e90-1e66-45e0-8e09-421fc93a2438
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