US President Donald Trump said during a business summit at the White House on May 4, 2026 that he will leave office ‘8 or 9 years from now.’ When the people present there started laughing thinking it was a joke, Trump immediately said, ‘I am not joking.’ His statement created a stir in American politics, because according to the 22nd Amendment of the US Constitution, no person can be elected President more than twice. Then why is Trump saying such things and is there really a big plan behind it?

American 22nd Amendment and its essentiality

The 22nd Amendment to the US Constitution was enacted in 1951, which clearly says, ‘No person shall be elected to the office of President more than twice.’ In fact, Franklin D. Roosevelt was elected President four times (1932, 1936, 1940 and 1944), after which this amendment was brought to prevent excessive centralization of power. Trump has been elected President twice in 2016 and 2024, so under the Constitution he cannot contest the 2028 elections.

Legal paths and obstacles to a third term

As soon as Trump’s term began, Republican Party MP Andy Ogles introduced a constitutional amendment proposal on January 23, 2025, the purpose of which was to make a third term possible for Trump by changing the 22nd Amendment. This proposal said that ‘No person will be elected to the post of President more than three times.’ But this bill could not reach voting in the House and went into abeyance.

Amending the US Constitution is a very complex process, whether it is for Trump or anyone else. For amendment, the proposal has to be passed by two-thirds majority in both houses of Congress (House of Representatives and Senate). Then approval has to be taken from the legislatures of at least 38 states (three-fourths) out of 50 states. In the current political equations, the Republican Party does not have that much majority.

Of the 100 seats in the Senate, Republicans have only 52 seats, while the amendment would require 67 seats. Out of 435 seats in the House of Representatives, they have only 220 seats. Moreover, many states are governed by the Democratic Party, which is unlikely to support such an amendment.

Then what is the political strategy behind Trump’s statements?

Foreign affairs expert and retired JNU professor A. Of. Pasha believes that these statements of Trump are not mere legal ambitions, but part of a well-thought-out political strategy. By continuously mentioning the ‘third term’, he gives a message to his supporters that his work is still incomplete. Without them the agenda of ‘Making America Great Again’ cannot be accomplished. This keeps his support base strong and maintains his hold on the Republican Party. This strategy is also important before the mid-term elections of 2026, so that his party can gain majority in Congress and his policy agenda can be taken forward.

Experts have pointed towards another possible path. According to Hamilton College Professor Philip Klinkner, Trump may contest the post of Vice President instead of contesting the presidency himself in the 2028 elections and may make JD Vance or any other loyal leader the nominal president. This is exactly the same strategy that Vladimir Putin adopted in Russia in 2008.

Putin himself assumed the post of Prime Minister by replacing Dmitry Medvedev as President after the Constitution’s two-term limit expired and then became President again in 2012. Legal experts are divided on whether the 22nd Amendment allows such bets, but this discussion is definitely taking place among those close to Trump.

Trump becoming President for the third time is very complicated

However, Trump’s claim that he will remain President for ‘8-9 years’ is almost constitutionally impossible. They do not have the political numbers required for a formal constitutional amendment. However, these statements are an important part of his political strategy, which keeps his supporters active and creates an environment for the Republican Party in the 2026 elections. At the same time, discussion of indirect methods like ‘Putin Model’ to remain in power is also gaining momentum. At present, these are all possibilities, but it definitely shows that the tussle between power and the Constitution in American politics is going to intensify in the future.