Former White House chief strategist Steve Bannon has claimed there are active plans to help former president Donald Trump secure a third term in office, despite the 22nd Amendment limiting presidents to two terms.
According to The Daily Beast, Bannon told The Economist that Trump would be president again in 2028, stating, “He’s gonna get a third term, Trump ’28, Trump is gonna be president ’28 so people just ought to get accommodated with that.”
When asked about the 22nd Amendment, Bannon said:
“There’s many different alternatives. At the appropriate time, we’ll lay out what the plan is, but there’s a plan and President Trump will be the president in ’28.”
The 22nd Amendment, ratified in 1951, restricts a person from being elected to the US presidency more than twice.
Bannon, who served as Trump’s chief strategist during the first seven months of his presidency before being dismissed, said Trump “had longer odds in 2016 and longer odds in 2024” than he does for a potential 2028 run.
He described Trump as “an instrument of divine will,” adding:
“We need him for at least one more term, and he’ll get that in ’28.”
The former strategist’s comments echo sentiments within Trump’s political circle.
Trump has also hinted at the idea of a third term on multiple occasions, despite the constitutional limit. On his Truth Social platform, he recently posted a video suggesting he could remain in office beyond 2032.
In an interview with NBC News in March, Trump said “a lot of people” wanted him to seek a third term, adding that while he was focused on the current term, “there are methods which you could do it.”
When asked to explain those methods, he mentioned a possible scenario involving Vice President JD Vance but declined to elaborate further.
Constitutional experts have weighed in on the matter. Laurence Tribe, a constitutional scholar and former Harvard Law professor, cautioned that the 22nd and 12th Amendments may not fully prevent a third Trump presidency.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Tribe wrote, “Anyone discounting a 3rd Trump term per the 22nd am + the 12th am is thinking magically. The 22nd doesn’t bar serving a 3rd term, only being elected three times. The 12th doesn’t bar running for VP unless ‘ineligible’ to serve as Pres, but Trump isn’t ineligible.”
Trump and his allies have not publicly released details of any plan to pursue a third term, and the White House has not commented on Bannon’s remarks.
