NEWS: Trump “third term” chatter grows. Take it seriously.
The president’s allies continue to tease that he’ll be on the ballot in 2028.
Bottom Line Up Front:
Last night on Fox News, Senator Lindsey Graham said he hopes Donald Trump runs for a third term in 2028 — a blatant violation of the Constitution’s 22nd Amendment. Yet chatter about the idea is growing, and a majority of Republicans now say they’d support it.
WHAT HAPPENED
On Sean Hannity’s show last night, Graham said this:
“Trump 2028. I hope this never ends.”
Graham’s comments came in response to Hannity asking about Trump’s handling of the Ukraine-Russia war and aren’t the first time the senator has gloated about the possibility of an unconstitutional third term for the president.
Chatter among Republicans about the possibility has been growing.
Trump himself hasn’t ruled it out. Earlier this year, he told NBC: “A lot of people want me to do it… I like working.” He’s also hawked $50 “Trump 2028” hats to visitors at the White House. And Rep. Andy Ogles (R-TN) has even introduced a constitutional amendment to allow Trump (but not Obama or Clinton) to run again.
Meanwhile, recent polling published by Semafor shows Republican voters are warming to the idea. An early August Data for Progress survey of 1,247 likely voters found a majority of Republicans in favor of Trump seeking a third term, despite the constitutional ban. By contrast, 91% of Democrats and 77% of independents opposed it.
WHAT IT MEANS
As always, Trump’s allies will say this is a joke. Let me be crystal clear: this is not a joke.
The closer we get to 2028, the louder this chatter will get. Trump wants a third term, and in my view, he will seek it unless he encounters critical health issues, whether through a Vance–Trump switch or some other ploy. Notably, the president is not constitutionally prohibited from running as “vice president” in 2028, and Republicans would delight in the ballot gimmick.
The 22nd Amendment, passed in 1951 after FDR’s four elections, has been one of America’s unbreakable guardrails against an over-powerful chief executive. Every president since respected it. Now Trump and his allies are openly testing it.
The authoritarian creep is underway. First it’s a “joke.” Then it’s campaign merch. Then a senator says it on TV. Then a congressman introduces a bill. And before long, it’s “the will of the people” to change the rules or just a simple ballot switch to “own the libs.” Indeed, JD Vance would gladly take his orders from “Vice President” Trump.
I agree that this scenario sounds absurd. And it is. But we’ve seen these types of political maneuvers done elsewhere, including in places where Trump has previously and vocally observed (with jealousy) what other autocrats are doing: Putin in Russia, Xi in China, and Erdoğan in Turkey
WHAT’S NEXT
Democrats need to talk about this every single day in the lead-up to the midterms next year. If voters don’t check Trump at the ballot box in 2026 and put the opposition in power, there won’t be even a speed bump in his quest to remain in office in 2028 and beyond.
Graham won’t be the last Republican to float the idea. If Democrats don’t seize on it — and if they don’t make their upcoming races about whether Trump can steamroll toward a third term — they risk sleepwalking into the end of America’s two-term tradition.
Again, health issues are the likeliest thing to keep Trump from pursuing this path. Absent that, though, he’ll see his entire future and legacy dependent on remaining in office. It’s why he frustrated the transfer of power in 2020; given the criminal liability he faced after he left, he won’t want to risk being a private citizen ever again.
As a backup, Trump remains interested in being named by fellow Republicans as the Speaker of the House, which is possible whether or not he’s elected to Congress. He’ll keep that in his back pocket. But that requires the GOP keeping a firm grip on the chamber for years to come. This is yet another reason you’ll see Trump’s efforts to shape House elections kick into high gear; control of Congress is his biggest insurance policy.
Voters need to hear the stakes. If they don’t elect a Congress that will stop him, Trump will face fewer institutional barriers to pursuing what he and his party members not-so-secretly desire: an indefinite presidency.
P.S. WHAT’S HAPPENING ON TREASON
A few things to put on your radar screen.
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The idea of a 3rd Trump term is absolutely terrifying.
Graham should have turned on Trump the second Loomer outed him. But I guess no humiliation is low enough for Graham. And yes, this “everybody is saying I should run” is not locker room talk.