House Speaker Mike Johnson says he doesn’t see ‘a path’ to a third Trump term

House Speaker Mike Johnson today at the Capitol. Photo / Demetrius Freeman, The Washington Post

House Speaker Mike Johnson (Republican-Louisiana) said today that he does not see a way United States President Donald Trump could run for a third term.

It’s an idea that Trump has long floated even though it is prohibited by the US Constitution.

At a news conference with House Republican leadership, Johnson said he had spoken with Trump about the matter, making a reference to the 22nd Amendment of the Constitution, which states that no person can be elected president more than twice.

“It’s been a great run, but I think the President knows, and he and I have talked about the constrictions of the Constitution - as much as so many of the American people lament that,” Johnson said.

Johnson also noted it would take too long for a Constitutional amendment to pass.

“I don’t see a way to amend the Constitution because it takes about 10 years to do that … So I don’t, I don’t see the path for that,” Johnson said.

Trump, 79, has for months openly mused about a third term, at times saying he is joking and at other times insisting he is serious.

Stephen Bannon, a former White House chief strategist during Trump’s first term, alleged in a recent interview with the Economist that there was a “plan” to have Trump serve a third term.

“Trump is going to be president in ’28, and people ought to just get accommodated with that,” Bannon said, without providing details. “At the appropriate time, we’ll lay out what the plan is.”

Bannon now hosts a podcast popular with Trump’s political base.

Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One this week, Trump refused to rule out running for a third term, saying that he would “love to do it”.

“Am I not ruling it out? I mean, you’ll have to tell me,” Trump said then.

In the same conversation, Trump floated a scenario in which two of his Cabinet members - Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio - ran for president in 2028, potentially on the same ticket.

“We have JD, obviously - the Vice-President is great,” Trump said. “Marco’s great. I’m not sure if anybody would run against those two. I think if they formed a group it would be unstoppable.”

Trump did rule out a scenario in which he would run for vice-president, then assume the presidency again after the head of the ticket resigned, a strategy suggested by some of his supporters.

“I’d be allowed to do that,” Trump claimed on Air Force One, even though such a plan would seemingly run afoul of the 12th Amendment of the Constitution, which states that: “No person constitutionally ineligible to the office of President shall be eligible to that of Vice-President of the United States”.

“I wouldn’t do that. I think it’s too cute,” Trump added. “Yeah, I would rule that out because it’s too cute. I think the people wouldn’t like that. It’s too cute. It’s not - it wouldn’t be right.”

In addition to Trump’s refusal to rule out a third term, his official merchandise store sells “Trump 2028” hats, which the President has displayed at the White House. Today, Johnson suggested Trump was simply “trolling” his opponents with the caps.

“The Trump 2028 cap is one of the most popular that’s ever been produced, and he has a good time with that, trolling the Democrats, whose hair is on fire about the very prospect” of a third Trump term, Johnson said.

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