A Third Trump Term - A Possible Reality or Masterful Media Trolling?

At the end of his second term, President George Washington decided he would not seek a third term. He did so for several reasons. He was tired of fighting off attacks from political opponents, but even more than that, he wanted to show that the office of the President was not that of a tyrant. He also wanted to set an example for future presidents, and because he was in declining health, he was afraid that if he were to die in office, it would look as though when one was elected President, it was for life. Today, that example would be better set for Senators and members of Congress. Since the time of George Washington, only Franklin Delano Roosevelt has served more than two terms in office. But could that be about to change?

One of the things that has become very apparent in Trump’s second term is that he loves to troll the legacy dinosaur media, or as Fox News legal analyst Jonathan Turley put it, “Trump loves to hand the media a can with a snake in it.” And every time he does, they fall for it hook, line, and sinker. But recently, what many might have thought was another instance of Trump doing what he does best, tweaking the media, might not actually be a tweak, and that is, running for a third term in office in 2028. He first mentioned the idea in January, right after he was sworn into office, and said it was just a joke aimed at the “fake news media.” But since then, he has become a bit more serious about it, bringing the idea up again on a recent Sunday show, saying, “There are methods which you could do it.” He added, “I’m not joking. A lot of people want me to do it. But I basically tell them we have a long way to go, you know, it’s very early in the administration.” Let’s say just for a minute that this happened. Just because you can do something doesn’t mean you should. Would it be a good idea or a bad idea?

The 22^nd Amendment states, “No person shall be elected to the office of the president more than twice, and no person who has held the office of president, or acted as president, for more than two years of a term to which some other person was elected president shall be elected to the office of the president more than once.”

There are plenty of Trump supporters who seem to be on board with this, including some Republican lawmakers. Rep. Andy Ogles (R-TN) introduced a resolution in January that would allow a president to serve up to three non-consecutive terms. Trump is the only living President this would apply to. Then, there was the plan that if Vice President JD Vance were to run for President in 2028, Trump could run as Vice President. If Vance were to be elected, he would then step down, and Trump would step in. But since Trump is prevented by the current 22^nd Amendment from running for President again, he is also ineligible to run for Vice President.

Again, let’s set aside the constitutionality and/or legalities. Would it be a good idea for the country, and would it be a good idea for Republicans? Not that we have to care what Democrats and the left constantly scream about; we don’t. But they, along with their propaganda arm, the media, have literally spent the last decade telling Americans, and for that matter, the world, that all Donald Trump wants in life is to be a dictator. If Trump were to win a third term, it would be because he was once again elected by the will of the people. Also, again, not a real issue, but try convincing Democrats that such an election was not “rigged” or their new favorite, “bought by Elon Musk.”

Let’s talk about JD Vance again. Donald Trump picked Vance for a very good reason. While Republicans knew that even if he wasn’t a vegetable, Joe Biden at 82 was just too old to run again. At some point, politicians, like athletes, have to know when to hang the cleats up. It’s a very real problem right now with the likes of 74-year-old Chuck Schumer, 83-year-old Mitch McConnell, and 85-year-old Nancy Pelosi. California Senator Dianne Feinstein died at the age of 90, still in office. Trump knew that 40-year-old JD Vance would be the face of the future of the Republican party. It would be a very good idea, as great as Donald Trump is, that he steps back in 2028 and let JD Vance be that face.

But maybe the biggest reason, if we are going to insist that we play the game differently than Democrats, is how they handled Joe Biden. When Republicans said that it wasn’t about whether Joe was cognitively impaired (he was), it was his age. At 82, he was just too old to run again. If Republicans are going to be intellectually honest, wouldn’t that make Donald Trump too old to run at 82 years old as well?

President George Washington’s reasons for only wanting to serve two terms still hold up as well today as they did 200 years ago. And as tempting a scenario as it would be to have the country in Donald Trump’s hands for as long as possible, George Washington’s desire to be an example to future presidents also stands up just as well.