Could an untested legal loophole actually bypass the strict constitutional barriers for a third term?

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No. Under the Constitution as generally understood, there is no workable legal loophole for a third elected term, and any attempt to create one would face overwhelming legal obstacles. The central barrier is the 22nd Amendment, which says no person may be elected president more than twice. Donald Trump has now publicly acknowledged that limit, saying the Constitution and the law are “very strong.” That matches the mainstream legal view: a third run in 2028 would be plainly blocked unless the Constitution itself were changed. The often-cited workaround — serving as vice president and then returning to the presidency if the president resigns — is also widely rejected by constitutional scholars. They point to the 12th Amendment, which says no person constitutionally ineligible to be president can be eligible to be vice president. Princeton’s Deborah Pearlstein and other legal experts have said that closes the Vance-style scenario that has circulated publicly. Some theorists argue the 22nd Amendment only bars being “elected” president, not succeeding to the office. But that reading has never been tested in court, cuts against the broader constitutional design of term limits, and would almost certainly trigger immediate ballot challenges and Supreme Court review. In practical terms, the only secure path to a third term would be a new constitutional amendment repealing or altering the 22nd Amendment. Under Article V, that would require two-thirds of Congress and ratification by th…

Trump Dismisses 2028 Third-Term Talk, Saying 22nd Amendment Law Is Strong

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Trump Dismisses 2028 Third-Term Talk, Saying 22nd Amendment Law Is Strong

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