Trump makes huge call on historic third term

Perth Now

04-05-2025

US President Donald Trump has confirmed he will not be investigating avenues to pursue a third term and will hand over the keys to the White House at the end of his current administration.
Appearing on NBC's Meet the Press, Mr Trump said it is clear he would not be able to navigate a path to a historic third term through the courts.
The American Constitution says 'no person shall be elected to the office of the President more than twice' and an amendment for change would require the support of either two-thirds of both the House and Senate or two-thirds of state legislatures and both paths would require ratification from three-quarters of the states.
'I'll be an eight-year president, I'll be a two-term president. I always thought that was very important,' Mr Trump said in the interview that aired on Sunday.
'It's something that, to the best of my knowledge, you're not allowed to do. I don't know if that's constitutional that they're not allowing you to do it or anything else.'
Mr Trump has spoken previously about finding a way to run for third term but on investigation realises the task would be almost impossible.
Trump told Kristen Welker on Meet The Press that he has had no meetings about establishing a pathway for a third term, but he's heard 'different concepts' about potential options.
'Other people say, 'You can have a write-in vote,'' Mr Trump said.
'There are many people selling the 2028 hat,' Trump said. 'But this is not something I'm looking to do. I'm looking to have four great years and turn it over to somebody, ideally a great Republican, a great Republican to carry it forward.'
The obvious choice to step into the fold and make a run for the next presidency is current Vice President JD Vance who Mr Trump said would have an advantage over other competitors in a Republican primary for the top job.
When asked if JD Vance would be 'top of the tree' in the race to the White House on 2028 Trump praised Vance.
'It could very well be,' Trump said, before adding, 'I don't want to get involved in that. I think he's a fantastic, brilliant guy. Marco (Rubio) is great. There's a lot of them that are great.'
He also emphasized that such discussions are 'far too early.'
'But certainly you would say that somebody's the VP, if that person is outstanding, I guess that person would have an advantage,' Trump said.
CNBC are reporting that Trump has declined to be drawn into endorsing or labeling Vance as his anointed successor, while still showering him with praise over his work. In February, Trump told Fox News' Bret Baier that Vance is 'very capable' but that he did not necessarily view Vance as his successor.
Trump also named Marco Rubio as a 'great' potential GOP leader.
Trump's confidence in the former Florida senator is reflected in Rubio's wide portfolio in the administration: He's been tapped by the president to serve as the acting head of the National Archives, acting administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development and, most recently, national security adviser — replacing Michael Waltz, whom Trump instead said he would nominate to be ambassador to the United Nations.
'Marco's doing an outstanding job,' Trump said when the interview turned to Waltz. He added that while he does not expect Rubio to remain in his newest role in the 'long term,' he's in no rush to replace him.
'Now, Marco won't keep — Marco's very busy doing other things, so he's not going to keep it long term. We're going to put somebody else in,' Trump said, though he later noted that Henry Kissinger served as both secretary of state and national security adviser, adding: 'Henry Kissinger did both. There's a theory that you don't need two people. But I think I have some really great people that could do a good job.'
Asked by Welker if Rubio could continue in both jobs 'indefinitely,' Trump said: 'He could, yeah. He could. But I think he even would like to probably see — because it is a little bit different. But in the meantime, he'll handle it.'
The field of 'tremendous' Republicans Trump said could emerge as 2028 front-runners, a group that he said includes as many as 20 people, does not appear to be a chief concern for the president months into his second term. He suggested to Welker that he's much more focused on a more immediate election, the 2026 midterms, in which Republicans will have to fight historical odds to maintain control of both chambers of Congress.
Backlash against Trump's swift use of executive authority to reshape the federal government — from targeting diversity, equity and inclusion efforts to imposing new tariffs on dozens of countries — have weighed on the GOP politically, with Trump's approval ratings steadily declining through his first 100 days.
The economic consequences of the tariffs in particular appear to be politically damaging, with Trump's handling of tariffs earning him especially low marks compared to other issues in recent public surveys, including CNBC and NBC News Stay Tuned polls.
Trump told Welker he plans to play a 'very active' role in the midterm cycle, especially through his fundraising prowess. He downplayed concerns that his agenda may cost Republicans one or both chambers of Congress.
'If you look, it's pretty consistent that whoever wins the presidency ends up losing the House, losing the Senate. I think we're going to turn that around. I think we're going to turn it around easy,' Trump said.