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Trump hints at fourth term presidential run, sparks backlash; 'skipping over third term'
President Donald Trump teasingly asked whether he should ‘try for a fourth term’, citing ‘record numbers’ all over the place.
President Donald Trump again teased running for president on Thursday. He wrote on Truth Social whether he should ‘try for a fourth term’, citing ‘record numbers all over the place’.
Notably, Trump's comments came shortly after US stocks climbed. However, given that 22nd Amendment does not allow for a person to run for more than two elections, Trump couldn't legally run for president again. This has not stopped him from hinting at a third term in the past. Trump even has 2028 hats in the White House, which he's shown to others.
While he's maintained that this is all in good humor, the recent post has riled many. People on X have also pointed out how Trump appears to have skipped the third term and gone straight on to the fourth.
Reactions to Donald Trump's post
While supporters seemed to take Trump's post as humor and joked that ‘meltdowns’ would be coming, many did not find it a laughing matter.
“Here we go… buckle up for Democracy,” one person remarked. Another added, “There are so many different levels of off the charts derangement here I don’t know what else to say.” Yet another person said, “…skipping right over a third term and straight to the fourth.”
Also Read | Donald Trump says he's open to a third term in office. Can he be elected again?
Rep. Andy Ogles of Tennessee even added he was ‘working on it’. However, barring a change in the laws, Trump cannot run for presidency again. The 22nd Amendment makes it clear that after two terms a person cannot run for president. Skipping a term wouldn't reset the count, so even if Trump's latest post indicates that he might skip the next election and try after that, the law would bar him from doing so.
While the Republican Party does not yet have any clear frontrunner for the presidential candidate, given that elections are years away, many within the MAGA circle want to see JD Vance in the Oval Office. The current Vice President is often referred to as '48', indicating he'd be the 48th President of the US, with Trump as the current and 47th president.
