'Very hard...': Has Trump taken a U-turn on 'will run for presidency for the third time' claims?

US President Donald Trump seemed to have taken a U-turn on his desire to run for the third time for the presidency, while also keeping the ambiguity over his intention intact. In an exclusive interview with The Atlantic, Trump said that it is hard to run for the presidency for the third time, but also said that he is "trying to shatter" the US system and set a new precedent.

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"It’s not something that I’m looking to do," Trump said. "And I think it would be a very hard thing to do," Trump said. He also denied instructing the Department of Justice to check if a third term could be allowed. "That would be a big shattering, wouldn’t it? Well, maybe I’m just trying to shatter," he said. In the same interview, Trump also brushed off concerns that his actions could set a dangerous precedent. "Oh, I don’t know. I’ve already gone through it." He also said that "he runs the country and the world."

In two conversations with The Atlantic, Donald Trump projected an air of invincibility, while seeking to distance himself from the most controversial parts of his own presidency. Read more in our new cover story: https://t.co/kmltm1n13t pic.twitter.com/oMJG3VBR5u
— The Atlantic (@TheAtlantic) April 29, 2025

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US President Donald Trump has time and again expressed his desire to run for the presidency again. He had also claimed that he has 'methods' for doing so. While the US Constitution under the 22nd Amendment bars any individual from running for the presidency for the third time, Trump supporters have said that the law can be interpreted differently as well. Any such manoeuvre would invite legal challenges, and courts would be asked to interpret the meaning of the 22nd Amendment.

Can Trump be the President despite the 22nd Amendment?

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"A lot of people want me to do it...I’m not joking," Trump said to NBC News. When asked whether he has been presented with plans to allow him to seek a third term, Trump said, "There are methods which you could do it."

His 'methods' include the interpretation by his supporters that the 22nd Amendment only bans someone being 'elected' to more than two presidential terms but says nothing about 'succession'. When Trump was asked in a recent interview if Vice President JD Vance would run for the top job, and then pass the baton to him, he said, “Well, that’s one.”