President-elect Donald Trump quipped Wednesday he could be open to a third term in office.
"I suspect I won't be running again, unless you say, 'he's so good, we've got to figure something else," Trump said in remarks to House Republicans in a downtown Washington, D.C., hotel, drawing laughter from some supporters.
The U.S. Constitution rules that a person can only serve two four-year terms as president. The terms do not have to be consecutive.
Only one person — Franklin D. Roosevelt — has served more than two terms as president. He was the longest-sitting president in U.S. history, serving from 1933 to 1945.
Toward the end of the 1944 presidential race, New York Governor Thomas Dewey said, "Four terms, or 16 years, is the most dangerous threat to our freedom ever proposed," and supported the passage of an amendment that would limit future presidents to two terms. The 22nd Amendment was passed in 1947 and ratified in 1951.
It states that "No person shall be elected to the office of the President more than twice, and no person who has held the office of President, or acted as President, for more than two years of a term to which some other person was elected President shall be elected to the office of the President more than once."
Trump in April 2024 told Time Magazine he intends to "serve four years and do a great job.
"I wouldn't be in favor of a challenge. Not for me. I wouldn't be in favor of it at all. I intend to serve four years and do a great job," he said.
Solange Reyner ✉
Solange Reyner is a writer and editor for Newsmax. She has more than 15 years in the journalism industry reporting and covering news, sports and politics.
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