Former Steve Bannon, the White House chief strategist, suggested that President-elect Donald Trump seek a third term in office.
Bannon, the host of the War Room podcast, made the claim during his speech at the New York Young Republican Club’s annual gala on Sunday evening.
The top Trump ally appeared to refer to the wording of the 22nd Amendment to the Constitution, which states that “No person shall be elected to the office of President more than twice.”
Republican lawyer Mike Davis, who was reportedly in line for the position of attorney general, noted that the Constitution does not specify whether this applies only to consecutive terms, according to Bannon.
“Donald John Trump is going to raise his hand on the King James Bible and take the oath of office, his third victory and his second term,” claimed Bannon.
“And viceroy Mike Davis tells me, since it doesn’t actually say consecutive, that, I don’t know, maybe we do it again in 1928? Would you be willing to participate in “Trump ’28”?
Following Franklin D. Roosevelt’s four-term presidency from 1933 to 1945, Congress ratified the 22nd Amendment in 1951. Due to concerns about presidential abuse of power, Congress pushed for a two-term limit.
Democrats, including Vice President Kamala Harris, have warned that if Trump returns to the White House, he will attempt to act authoritarian. During the 2024 campaign, Harris agreed with the suggestion that Trump is a “fascist” and told voters he vowed to be a “dictator” if elected again.
The Constitution limits a person to two presidential elections. Trump’s second term as president will officially begin on January 20, 2025, with his inauguration.
There is an exception that allows someone to serve more than two terms, but only under certain conditions.
A vice president who succeeds to the presidency through succession, such as when the incumbent dies or resigns, may seek two additional terms if their first term lasted less than two years.
During an interview with Time magazine in April, the president-elect said he opposed repealing the 22nd Amendment.
“I wouldn’t favor a challenge.” Not for me. I wouldn’t be in favor of it at all,” Trump said. “I intend to serve four years and do a great job.”
But, during a speech at the National Rifle Association annual meeting in May, Trump had said, “You know, FDR, 16 years—almost 16 years—he was four terms. I’m unsure if we will be regarded as a three-term administration. Or two-term?”
According to The Hill, Trump jokingly suggested to House Republicans on November 13 that he won’t run again in 2028 “unless you do something.”
Bannon was White House chief strategist during the Trump administration’s first seven months. In 2022, a court found him guilty of two counts of contempt of Congress, leading to a four-month prison sentence. He was released in October.
