Trump again invokes claim he has ‘right’ to run for third presidential term | Donald Trump

Donald Trump joked with protesters Thursday night that he had “the right to run again” for president, invoking a claim he has repeatedly made that he could seek a third term despite it being unconstitutional.

“I don’t know who your next president is going to be and I think the law says, I’m not 100 percent sure, but I think the law says I’m not allowed to run again,” Trump said in Sioux City, Iowa.

Trump apparently acknowledged that the 22nd Amendment prohibits presidents from running for a third term, but then invoked his familiar false claims that Democrats “stole” the 2020 presidential election from him.

“Well, one thing is different: They cheated us in the second one because we won it three times. So I think I have the right to run again,” Trump said with a laugh.

“I think I have the right to run again because they cheated,” Trump added with a shy smile, drawing applause from the crowd.

Trump has consistently said he would run for president again, which would be a direct violation of the U.S. Constitution.

In October 2025, Trump told reporters that he would “love” to run for a third term. At a rally in Texas in February, the president told the crowd, “Maybe we should do one more term,” saying he had a “right” to do so.

Last year, the Trump store began selling “Trump 2028” hats. The US president went so far as to wear one to the White House Correspondents’ Dinner in July.

His allies called the president’s claims a joke.

Mike Johnson, the Speaker of the House, told reporters last year that Trump is “having fun with this, trolling the Democrats” in seeking a third term. Johnson said he didn’t see a way to amend the constitution to allow Trump to run again.

But opponents have expressed concerns about Trump’s seriousness.

Trump himself has acknowledged the restrictions imposed by the US Constitution.

Even at Thursday night’s rally, he said, “I’ve studied that phrase forever. Unfortunately, it’s pretty concise. There’s not a lot of wiggle room. It says something like ‘under no circumstances and for any reason would you even consider running for president if you had -‘.”

The president, who enjoys wide support thanks to his loyal Maga base, has urged his supporters to vote as if he were on the ballot in November’s US midterm elections to help Republicans win more seats. The impact of this unconventional strategy remains to be seen as Trump’s approval rating falls to new lows.