Could Trump Get a Third Term in 2028? What This Could Mean for the Economy and the American Dream
Written by
T. Woods
Edited by
Amber Barkley
Commitment to Our Readers
GOBankingRates' editorial team is committed to bringing you unbiased reviews and information. We use data-driven methodologies to evaluate financial products and services - our reviews and ratings are not influenced by advertisers. You can read more about our editorial guidelines and our products and services review methodology.
20 Years
Helping You Live Richer
Reviewed
by Experts
Trusted by
Millions of Readers
Despite the fact that the 22nd Amendment of the U.S. Constitution explicitly forbids it from actually taking place, President Donald Trump has spent years joking about — and floating the idea of — running for a third term as president of the United States.
Recently, however, he told NBC News, “I’m not joking” and seriously indicated that there are loopholes by which Trump, who became America’s 45th president in 2017 and its 47th president in 2025, could hold a third term.
Also, find out how Americans are feeling about their finances during Trump’s second term.
Is It Possible for Trump To Serve a Third Term?
In its 22nd Amendment, the United States Constitution clearly established in 1951 that an individual may only be elected to two terms of presidential office.
Vice President Loophole
As CNN noted, however, there are Trump loyalists arguing for such loopholes as JD Vance running for president in 2028 with Trump running as his vice president. Upon winning the presidency, Vance could step down, allowing Trump to ascend to the presidency — rather than be elected to it — thereby circumventing the 22nd Amendment’s strictures.
However, such an extreme maneuver is already rendered moot by the Constitution, as well; the 12th Amendment states, “No person constitutionally ineligible to the office of President shall be eligible to that of Vice-President of the United States.”
Thus, Trump — who is not eligible to be elected president a third time — would conceivably thereby be ineligible to run as vice president, as well.
Constitutional Amendment
Aside from such convoluted wrangling, the only other — and comparably straightforward — option for a third term would be to amend the Constitution itself to allow Trump’s election for a third time.
The problem for Trump? Amending the Constitution requires a 2/3 majority vote in the House of Representatives, 2/3 majority vote in the Senate and a 3/4 majority vote of the states to ratify such a change to one of America’s founding documents.
In the highly polarized political landscape of modern America, a series of majority votes on that scale is all but impossible.
Ultimately, It’s Unlikely
Legal experts tend to agree — Ben Michael, attorney at Michael & Associates, reiterated that the 22nd Amendment “point blank” bars Trump or any other individual from assuming a third term as president.
He explained, “Unless the 22nd Amendment were to be repealed, Trump cannot legally serve another term after this one. Repealing a constitutional amendment is not a simple or easy feat, so even though Republicans hold the majority in both the Senate and the House of Representatives, I don’t think it’s a likely outcome we will see, if attempted.”
That said, a mainstay of Trump’s two terms as president thus far is to test the limits of America’s political and legal institutions, often crossing lines never crossed before.
While it would be a disavowal of Constitutional norms, it is at the very least conceivable that Trump could, as The Hill has speculated, declare or contrive a national emergency and indefinitely postpone the 2028 election. This would likely require some form of martial law or military enforcement to quell citizen uprisings against such an action.
But What Could It Mean for the Economy?
What would such a move mean for the American economy in general — and your wallet and American Dream in specific? In short, it would likely be disastrous.
As The Hill further noted, intellectuals such as doctors, researchers and academics frequently flee autocratic states quickly, meaning that health care and life sciences could both decline and become more expensive to maintain.
Additionally, such an abandonment of democracy would likely cost America trade partners like Canada, the EU and Japan — relationships already strained at this point by increased tariffs. Losing those trade allies would trigger an almost immediate scarcity of cars, tech such as smart phones and medical supplies, and would likely also create stratospheric food price hikes.
The American economy would likely be crippled in the wake of such events.
To be clear, there is currently zero evidence that Trump will actually pursue any of the avenues explored above. The fact that he made clear that he is not joking about the possibility, however, makes it no laughing matter, and one that must be considered seriously.
Editor’s note on political coverage: GOBankingRates is nonpartisan and strives to cover all aspects of the economy objectively and present balanced reports on politically focused finance stories. You can find more coverage of this topic on GOBankingRates.com.
More From GOBankingRates
Sources
- NBC News, “Trump won’t rule out seeking a third term in the White House, tells NBC News ‘there are methods’ for doing so.”
- CNN, “Elie Honig breaks down ‘loop hole’ Trump’s team sees for third term.”
- The Hill, “How President Trump could get a third term.”
- Ben Michael, Michael & Associates
