&imwidth=800&imheight=600&format=webp&quality=medium "Did Trump announce a 'third term' in his 2026 State of the Union address? Here’s the truth")
President Donald Trump, during his State of the Union on Tuesday (Feb 24), slipped in the mention of a "third term" in his State of the Union address. The POTUS, while discussing his administration's achievements, quipped, "In my first year of my second term — should be my third term, but hey...," a clear reference to his repeated claims that the 2020 US Presidential Election win was "stolen" from him.
Did Trump mention running for election in 2028?
No, while the US President has previously made multiple statements on his desire to run for president in 2028, he did not mention that in his SOTU speech. Instead, he joked about whether he should consider his current term second or third. "Are we going to be considered second term or third term...?" he asked.
Despite the US Constitution's strict limit on presidential terms, Trump has often dropped hints—sometimes in jest, sometimes provocatively—about extending his stay in the White House.
In January 2025, speaking in Miami, Florida, at an event for GOP Members of the US Congress, the Republican president seemed to toy with the idea of a third term and commented that he was "not 100 per cent sure" if he was barred from running again.
A year later, in January 2026, while kicking off a new round of rallies ahead of the upcoming November Midterms, he returned to a familiar provocation, joking about running for a constitutionally barred third term. “Should we do it a fourth time?” he asked, referring to his false claim that he won the 2020 election. Protesters interrupted the speech at least twice. Trump waved them off as “sickos” and “paid insurrectionists.”
Also read | Abigail Spanberger accuses Trump admin of 'unprecedented corruption' in Democratic response to State of the Union address
Before that, during a rally in Nevada, he said, "It will be the greatest honour in my life to serve not once, but twice -- or three times or four times," followed by a laugh and cheers from his supporters.
What does the US Constitution say about third presidential term?
The US Constitution stipulates 'Term Limits for the Presidency' and strictly limits presidents to two terms. The 22nd Amendment to the US Constitution says, "No person shall be elected to the Office of the President more than twice". The amendment was ratified in 1951 in response to Franklin D. Roosevelt's unprecedented four-term presidency during the mid-20th century.
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Can Trump defy the US Constitution?
As per ABC News, even if Trump tries to defy the constitutional rules, he would almost certainly be universally rebuffed by the courts and election officials.
