During his State of the Union address on Tuesday evening, President Donald Trump quipped that he should be in the midst of his third term.
“First year of the second term…it should be my third term,” the 79-year-old Republican president told the lawmakers, Cabinet officials and Supreme Court justices gathered in the House chamber.
“But, strange things happen,” he added, eliciting some applause from the audience.
It’s just the latest incidence of Trump insinuating, without evidence, that the 2020 election — which he lost to former President Joe Biden — was “stolen” from him.
Since returning to office last year, the president has also repeatedly toyed with the idea of running for a third term, despite the 22nd Amendment of the Constitution barring presidents from serving more than two terms.
In March, he told NBC News that he was “not joking” about running in 2028, adding, “a lot of people want me to do it.”
And, during a meeting with congressional Democrats, “Trump 2028” hats were placed on the Resolute desk, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said in October.
During a December White House reception, Trump also claimed that Israeli-American mega-donor Miriam Adelson offered him $250 million to run for an unconstitutional third term in 2028.
At times, however, he’s given mixed signals about this dubious prospect.
“I would love to do it. I have my best numbers ever,” he told reporters on Air Force One in October when he was asked about running again. But, then he said a 2028 run would be “too cute” and “wouldn’t be right.”
Asked directly if he wasn’t ruling out a third term, Trump replied: “Am I not ruling it out? I mean, you’ll have to tell me.”
