Donald Trump, at various times, has openly wished for a third term. He has encouraged the wearing of “Trump 2028” merchandise, sold it on his website, and has even been seen handing it out from a room in the White House.
Trump is, of course, constitutionally forbidden from serving a third term as president, in what is not exactly an ambiguous matter of law, as the 22nd Amendment is fairly clear on limiting presidents to two terms.
If he tried to force the issue, Trump’s attempt at another term would almost certainly be struck down by the courts, even though the Supreme Court has sometimes allowed Trump to do things that were previously unthinkable.
One current Supreme Court Justice, Amy Coney Barrett, has a new book out, and she appeared on Fox News this week to promote it. During the interview, Fox’s Bret Baier asked Justice Barrett about the 22nd Amendment.
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“The 22nd amendment says you can only run for office for two terms,” Baier said. He went on to ask Barrett if “you think that’s cut and dry?” and she answered, “Well, you know, that’s what the amendment says. After FDR had four terms, that’s what that amendment says.”
Baier: The 22nd amendment says you can only run for office for two terms.
Barrett: True.
Baier: You think that’s cut and dry?
Barrett: Well, you know, that’s what the amendment says. pic.twitter.com/O4i6kqwjTM
— Acyn (@Acyn) September 8, 2025
Supreme Court nominees and justices are sometimes cagey, whether in confirmation hearings or media interviews, about how they would rule in hypothetical future cases. But Barrett’s answers were alarming to some, The New Republic reported.
And that included California Gov. Gavin Newsom, who quoted the video and stated “the answer is YES.”
The answer is: YES. https://t.co/cEitQJqhN2
— Gavin Newsom (@GavinNewsom) September 9, 2025
At last, the core issue for MAGA👇: will SCOTUS gin up some transparently bulls*** rationale for Trump to run again? Say, the 22A only applies to consecutive terms https://t.co/XPOePr9KUf
— Robert E Kelly (@Robert_E_Kelly) September 8, 2025
Barrett, in an earlier interview with CBS News, had been more clear about the two-term limit.
“The Twenty-Second Amendment sets a two-term limit,” Barrett told Nora O’Donnell in the interview. “So really, I can’t say anything else but just point to the Twenty-Second Amendment. If you ask the question how many terms a president can serve, I would point to the Twenty-Second amendment.”
Photo courtesy of the Political Tribune media library.
