In response to Donald Trump's recent suggestion that he might serve a third term, Democrats have responded by speculating about Barack Obama's return to the White House.
Trump, who had previously suggested that he might continue longer than the constitutional maximum, propelled the speculation even further in an interview with NBC News. Here, he insisted, "I am not joking," as he considered a return run in 2028.
"Many people want me to do it. But, I mean, I essentially tell them we have a long way to go, you know, it's very early in the administration. I'm concentrating on the present," Trump said.
The U.S. Constitution's 22nd Amendment clearly prohibits any person from being elected president more than twice. It also prohibits anyone who has served more than two years of an unexpired presidential term from being elected more than once.
When asked how he might work around this constitutional limitation, Trump hinted at possible tactics. One suggested scenario was that his Vice President, JD Vance, might stand for the presidency and then transfer power to Trump—an option that has been much speculated on in light of Trump's seeming reluctance to let go of power. In reply to this, Trump admitted, "That's one way," but indicated there were other options too.
Steve Bannon, a close friend of Trump, has already stated confidently that Trump not only will run in 2028 but will emerge victorious. Bannon holds the view that there are several avenues Trump can pursue to turn a third-term candidacy into a reality.
The notion that Trump would run for a third term soon resulted in conversations about if Obama would follow suit. Social media was filled with responses, with one tweet bluntly offering, "Note to Steve Bannon: If Trump can circumvent term limits and run in 2028, then Obama can do the same."
A another user joked, "Trump really needs to drop the third-term talk unless he wants to get totally embarrassed by President Obama in a presidential election."
Barack Obama previously held two consecutive terms between 2009 and 2017, while Trump is now on his second, albeit non-consecutive, term after serving his first presidency between 2017 and 2021. If both of them were to enter the hypothetical 2028 race, Obama would be 67 years old, and Trump would be 82 years old.
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