US President Donald Trump has sparked controversy by suggesting he could serve a third term, despite the 22nd Amendment limiting presidents to two terms since 1951. The amendment was ratified after President Franklin D. Roosevelt broke with a self-imposed two-term limit set by presidents since George Washington.
According to law professor Wayne Unger, the Constitution is clear that presidents are limited to two four-year terms, and any challenge to this would likely be unsuccessful in court.
However, Republicans face a significant hurdle in changing the Constitution: they lack a majority needed for such a change. Currently, there are only 28 Republican-controlled state legislatures out of 50.
One possible way Trump could circumvent the limit is if his vice president, JD Vance, were to run for president and win, allowing Trump to potentially serve as vice president in 2029.
However, this plan is complicated by a constitutional provision that bars Trump from running as vice president. The 12th Amendment states that individuals constitutionally ineligible to be president are also ineligible for the vice presidency.
Source: https://www.reuters.com/world/us/can-donald-trump-serve-third-term-us-president-2025-03-31