Exclusive: Trump Could Stay President Until 2037!

It is noon in Washington on Saturday, January 20, 2029. Inauguration Day. A bearded man steps forward in front of the US Capitol And he lifts his right hand, with his left resting on the Bible.

I, James David Vance, hereby pledge...

A moment later, with a sly grin, the newly inaugurated President of the United States announces: "I resign."

His running mate gives him a big bear hug. The massive crowd on the National Mall bursts into chants of 'Trump, Trump, Trump' and 'Four More Years.'

Donald Trump has been elected as President for a third term.

This resembles a conspiracy theory or perhaps a fanciful notion from the MAGA supporters. Everyone who has a basic understanding of the Constitution realizes that the 22nd Amendment restricts presidents to serving only two terms.

Could a situation arise where Trump continues to be involved? White House Beyond that, does it actually occur? Experts surprise us with their response – indeed, it happens.

Actually, the route for Trump to serve a third term – and possibly even a fourth until January 2037 when he would turn 90 – is not just feasible; it’s straightforward due to a significant flaw in the amendment.

The concept of taking advantage of this legal gap Has long been simmering in scholarly communities, quietly within Congress and the White House, and recently amongst Trump's most devoted followers.

Implementing this wouldn’t necessitate a battalion of attorneys to conduct complicated legal maneuvers with the Constitution.

Alternatively, this shift would depend solely on how one interprets a single term — ‘election’ — within the 22nd Amendment, as well as the allegiance of an individual named Vance.

This would also necessitate Trump garnering sufficient public backing to secure victory for a third term through an election.

The 22nd Amendment

The complete text of the twenty-second amendment states the following:

'No individual can be chosen for the position of President more than twice. Additionally, anyone who has served as President or performed the duties of President for over two years during a term initially assigned to another person cannot be elected to the presidency more than once.'

The amendment came into effect in 1951 as a direct reaction to Franklin Delano Roosevelt being elected four times—twice during wartime periods.

Since the establishment of the two-term limit by George Washington, he remains the sole president to have served under this rule.

The Loophole

The exception in the 22nd Amendment is detailed in an article from the 1999 Minnesota Law Review written jointly by Professor Bruce Peabody and named 'The Twice and Future President'.

The document explains that the Amendment has faced considerable misinterpretation, and it ultimately states that the notion of a two-term president being constitutionally barred from serving again is decidedly inaccurate.

As stated in the document: 'We argue that the Twenty-Second Amendment restricts only the re-election of a president who has already been elected twice.'

The main point in the Amendment reads: 'No individual can be elected to the position of President more than two times...'

Some argue that this implies a president elected twice would still be eligible for later reclaiming the position through events such as the resignation or death of another president.

Therefore, Trump might run for Vice President, with Vance serving as the officially acknowledged head of the ticket.

After being sworn in, Vance could subsequently submit his resignation, enabling his Vice President - Trump - to take over the position.

This process can potentially be applied across various elections.

To secure a fourth term, Trump would just need to step down from the presidency prior to the 2032 election and join as the vice-presidential nominee under a potential presidential contender like Vance or another individual.

The Supreme Court

Rivals might contest this action in court, claiming it violates the 22nd Amendment.

However, Professor Peabody informed Santijaya that it would be quite difficult for the Supreme Court to overturn the decision.

That would be especially so given the conservative makeup of the current court and its bent toward a textualist interpretation of the Constitution.

Any decision would be likely to be based on the definition of the word 'election' rather than what the authors of the 22nd Amendment intended.

Also, if the plan was not clandestine but instead revealed openly to the electorate before the vote, it would be difficult to argue it was not democracy in action.

If people knew what they were voting for - 'Vote Vance, Get Trump' - it would be hard for opponents to argue in court that the spirit - let alone the letter - of the Constitution was being broken.

'I think it's one of those surprisingly straightforward scenarios,' Professor Peabody said.

'What seemed crazy a couple of decades ago now seems all too plausible.'

Indeed, Trump would not be the first president to look at the idea.

How did other presidents perceive the 22nd Amendment?

The Minnesota report detailed how many presidents have known about the possibility of serving a third term through such means.

Shortly after the ratification of the 22nd Amendment, President Eisenhower commented that it did not appear 'entirely prudent,' as the report pointed out.

Eisenhower stated that the voters "should have the ability to select anyone they desire as President, irrespective of how many terms that person has previously served."

He went so far as to suggest the idea of contesting the role of Vice President in 1960, followed by potentially reclaiming his position for a third term.

The sole thing I understand regarding the upcoming presidency is this: I am not eligible to run," he stated. "However, some have questioned whether, if invited, I would be constitutionally allowed to campaign for Vice President.

He later stated that the Justice Department investigated and determined it would be 'completely lawful for me to proceed' with the action.

At the event, he didn't.

President Truman lamented that the 22nd Amendment turned every second-term president into a 'lame duck.'

Subsequently, President Reagan labeled the Amendment as 'absurd' and proposed that it 'impinged upon the democratic rights of individuals' to select whomever they desired.

The Minnesota newspaper points out that the finalized wording of the adopted 22nd Amendment varied from previous drafts, which had strictly prohibited a president from serving more than two terms under any conditions.

Initially, it was stated that individuals who served as president for at least 365 calendar days across each of two separate terms would not be permitted to serve as President or act in the capacity of President for any duration during an additional term.

This might have been diluted — though this is speculative — to permit a two-term president being recalled to office during times of war or crisis.

However, it keeps alive the option for Trump to serve a third term.

The Twelfth Amendment

Some argue that the 12th Amendment could disqualify Trump from running for Vice President.

The amendment states in part: "No individual who is not qualified for the presidency according to the Constitution shall be deemed fit for the role of Vice President of the United States."

Nevertheless, the 12th Amendment came into effect in 1804, approximately 150 years prior to the ratification of the 22nd Amendment.

The Minnesota paper observes: "When the Twelfth Amendment was drafted, the Twenty-Second Amendment did not yet exist; hence, the original intent of the Twelfth Amendment was not to disqualify an individual from serving as Vice President merely because they had been elected President twice."

Rather, it contends that the Twelfth Amendment’s mention of ‘eligibility’ refers to what was already established in the Constitution—namely, that individuals must be both natural-born citizens and at least 35 years old to serve.

The Putin-Medvedev precedent

A contemporary example similar to Trump seeking a third term is known as the Putin-Medvedev approach.

In 2008, Putin was prevented by the constitution from pursuing a third successive term as president.

His devoted aide Dmitry Medvedev rose to power and got elected as president after he openly vowed to nominate Putin as his Prime Minister.

During his tenure with Medvedev at the helm, Putin exerted control from behind the scenes, before running for president once more in 2012.

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