Steve Bannon, the former White House chief strategist and vocal supporter of Donald Trump, made a controversial suggestion over the weekend that Trump could seek another term as president in 2028. Speaking at the New York Young Republican Club’s annual gala, Bannon floated the idea despite the U.S. Constitution’s explicit two-term limit for presidents.
During his speech, Bannon referenced pro-Trump attorney Mike Davis, claiming the Constitution does not explicitly restrict non-consecutive terms to two in total. “Since it doesn’t actually say ‘consecutive,’ that ― I don’t know, maybe we do it again in ’28?” Bannon said to the crowd. “Are you guys down for that? Trump ’28! Come on, man!”
Bannon’s comments stirred debate over the interpretation of the 22nd Amendment, which was ratified in 1951 to limit presidents to two terms after Franklin D. Roosevelt’s unprecedented four-term presidency. The amendment states that “no person shall be elected to the office of President more than twice,” a clause constitutional law experts widely agree applies to non-consecutive terms as well.
Donald Trump, who was elected president in 2016 and is currently running for another term in 2024, would join Grover Cleveland as the only U.S. presidents to serve non-consecutive terms if successful. However, legal experts have firmly rejected the notion that Trump, or any president, could run for a third term after that.
“There are no loopholes,” Michael McConnell, a constitutional law professor at Stanford University, told Vox. “Trump’s 2024 bid will be his last.”
Last month, Trump made a similar offhand remark about running beyond two terms during a meeting with House Republicans, joking that his performance might warrant changing the rules. The comment prompted Democratic Representative Dan Goldman to introduce a resolution clarifying that the 22nd Amendment applies to two terms in total, whether consecutive or not.
Goldman described Trump’s comments as “trial balloons” intended to gauge public reaction and normalize anti-democratic goals.
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