Senator Jon Husted (R-Ohio) claimed on Monday that President Donald Trump wasn’t seriously advocating for a third term, despite his recent remarks about the possibility of running again in 2028. Husted argued that while Trump mentioned the idea, it was more of a response to a question than an actual push for a third term.
“The president was responding to a question. He wasn’t advocating for that,” Husted said during an appearance on CNBC’s Squawk Box.
Trump caused a stir over the weekend when he spoke about potentially serving a third term in a phone interview with NBC News. Despite the U.S. Constitution limiting presidents to two terms, Trump suggested that there could be ways around the rule, saying that many people were asking him about the idea.
“A lot of people want me to do it,” Trump said. “But, I mean, I basically tell them we have a long way to go, you know, it’s very early in the administration. … I’m focused on the current.”
When pressed for clarification, Trump insisted he wasn’t joking, emphasizing that there were “methods” to allow him to run for a third term. He mentioned one potential method where Vice President Vance could run for president and then pass the job on to Trump, though he did not explain what other methods he was referring to.
Husted, however, downplayed the seriousness of Trump’s comments, pointing out that any effort to secure a third term would require a change to the Constitution. Changing the Constitution would involve a two-thirds vote in Congress or a two-thirds majority of states calling for a constitutional convention, followed by ratification by three-quarters of the states.
“The president knows you would have to change the Constitution,” Husted said. “And that would be highly unlikely.”
Watch the clip below from CNBC:
Sen. Husted on Trump saying he might run for a third term: “The president was responding to a question. He wasn’t advocating for that.” pic.twitter.com/eR6QecryUM
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) March 31, 2025
