Sen. Lindsey Graham on third Trump term: 'Ask me in '27'
Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) sidestepped a question Monday about whether President Trump could run for a third term in the White House.
“Do you think Trump can run for a third term?” a reporter asked Graham on Monday.
“Ask me in ’27,” Graham responded, before walking away.
The exchange comes amid heightened debate about whether the president might seek a third term in office.
The U.S. Constitution makes clear that a person can be elected president no more than two times, but Trump’s repeated remarks about a potential third term have led to talk about the possibility.
Trump on Sunday gave some of his most expansive remarks on the subject to date, telling NBC News there are potential workarounds that could allow him to serve a third term.
“A lot of people want me to do it,” Trump said. “But, I mean, I basically tell them we have a long way to go, you know, it’s very early in the administration. … I’m focused on the current.”
When asked to clarify, Trump maintained that he was “not joking.”
Trump has floated the idea of running for a third term several times since he was elected, including recently at a St. Patrick’s Day event, when he told the Irish prime minister that he looks forwarded to celebrating together “at least” three more times.
“When I say, ‘at least,’ they go absolutely crazy,” Trump said at the time, referring to the press, which elicited laughs in the room. “So thank you very much for being here.”
Several observers have questioned whether Trump is just trying to get a rise out of Democrats by discussing the possibility of a third term and have argued the party should not take the bait.
Last month, Trump asked a crowd at the White House, “Should I run again? You tell me.” And after his election victory in November, he floated the idea during a gathering with House Republicans.
The idea has gained steam in some circles, despite it being unconstitutional. The 22nd Amendment limits individuals to two presidential terms.
Rep. Andy Ogles (R-Tenn.) in January proposed an amendment to the Constitution that would allow Trump to vie for another term in the White House.
In a statement at the time, Ogles said Trump “has proven himself to be the only figure in modern history capable of reversing our nation’s decay and restoring America to greatness, and he must be given the time necessary to accomplish that goal.”