President Trump talked about once more this week the potential for operating for a 3rd time period. Doing so can be unconstitutional, so why does the president preserve floating the concept?
MICHEL MARTIN, HOST:
President Trump retains flirting with the concept of serving a 3rd time period in workplace. Right here he’s final evening on Air Power One.
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PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: Based mostly on what I learn, I suppose I am not allowed to run. So we’ll see what occurs.
MARTIN: The twenty second Modification to the Structure clearly states, no individual shall be elected to the workplace of the president greater than twice. So why is Trump speaking about it once more? NPR senior White Home correspondent Tamara Keith digs in.
TAMARA KEITH, BYLINE: This week’s outbreak of Trump 2028 mania started when Trump ally and MAGA mastermind Steve Bannon sat down for an interview with The Economist.
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STEVE BANNON: Properly, he will get a 3rd time period. So Trump ’28. Trump goes to be president in ’28, and other people simply should get accommodated with that.
KEITH: Requested in regards to the twenty second Modification, he mentioned there are lots of completely different alternate options, however he did not element them. Bannon mentioned practically the identical factor again in April in an interview with MORNING EDITION host Steve Inskeep.
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BANNON: We’re engaged on some issues which are properly withinside the Structure, and it will be very – I feel individuals will agree that’ll be…
STEVE INSKEEP: Give me an instance.
BANNON: …Very sensible workarounds.
INSKEEP: Give me an instance of 1 factor.
BANNON: I do not wish to whet your urge for food. Let’s get by…
INSKEEP: (Laughter).
BANNON: …Let’s get by the hundred days.
INSKEEP: You have already whetted my urge for food.
BANNON: Let’s get by – no, as a result of it is exploding liberals’ heads, progressive heads that Trump’s going to be with them without end.
KEITH: Now, it might be simple to chalk this up as Bannon stirring the pot, however President Trump himself has stored it going. Right here he was on Air Power One, Monday morning.
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TRUMP: I might like to do it. I’ve my greatest numbers ever. It’s extremely horrible. I’ve my greatest numbers. In the event you learn it…
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: You are not ruling out a 3rd time period?
TRUMP: …In the event you learn it – am I not ruling it out? You may have to inform me. All I can let you know is…
KEITH: He did bat down the concept of operating for vice chairman after which assuming the presidency. However similar to Bannon, Trump leaves the potential for a 3rd time period dangling on the market. Right here he was again in March, once more, on Air Power One.
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TRUMP: I am simply telling you, I’ve had extra individuals say, please run once more. I mentioned, now we have an extended technique to go earlier than we even take into consideration that.
KEITH: I adopted up, asking, are you planning to go away workplace on January 20, 2029, or are you saying you may not? He appeared instantly at me after which appeared over my head.
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TRUMP: Go forward. Every other questions?
KEITH: The president shares pink Trump 2028 hats on a bookcase of merch simply exterior the Oval Workplace. Final month, when Democratic leaders visited to speak about averting the federal government shutdown, the hats confirmed up on the president’s desk, as Home Minority Chief Hakeem Jeffries informed CNN.
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HAKEEM JEFFRIES: It was the strangest factor ever. And I simply appeared on the hat, checked out JD Vance, who was seated to my left, and mentioned, do not you bought an issue with this? And he mentioned, no remark.
KEITH: Yesterday, Home Speaker Mike Johnson mentioned he did not see a path to a 3rd Trump time period.
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MIKE JOHNSON: I feel the president is aware of – and he and I’ve talked in regards to the constrictions of the Structure, as a lot as so most of the American individuals lament that – the Trump 2028 cap is without doubt one of the hottest that is ever been produced, and he has an excellent time with that.
KEITH: So is all of it only a troll? Brendan Nyhan is a professor of presidency at Dartmouth Faculty.
BRENDAN NYHAN: We’re most likely going to listen to about this for the subsequent three years as a result of he enjoys it. It will get the type of response he desires, and it serves his political objective.
KEITH: Trump is each making liberals’ heads explode, as Bannon put it, and attempting to delay changing into a lame duck president – much less related than these competing to interchange him. Once more, Nyhan.
NYHAN: It is profoundly destabilizing to name into query one thing as blatant because the twenty second Modification, which explicitly guidelines out what Trump is, quote, “joking” about. And we have seen repeatedly him joking about issues that he means to encourage or a minimum of, you already know, appear to offer tacit approval to.
KEITH: In his second time period, Trump has massively expanded his govt energy as Republicans in Congress both cheer or shrug. However Rick Hasen, an election legislation professional at UCLA, says, there is no nuance within the twenty second Modification.
RICK HASEN: Is it attainable that he might attempt to droop elections, droop the Structure, run for a 3rd time period? All of these items are attainable, however meaning we’re not the American democracy that we have had, after which the nation’s in actual hassle. However in the event you’re asking a couple of authorized path to a 3rd time period, it is simply not there.
KEITH: Plus, he asks, would President Trump actually wish to run in opposition to former President Barack Obama?
Tamara Keith, NPR Information.
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