U.S. President Donald Trump told a crowd of supporters that he believes he has the “right” to run for president again, claiming unproven fraud in the 2020 election effectively entitles him to seek an unprecedented third term despite constitutional limits.
Addressing a campaign rally in Sioux City, Iowa, Trump referenced the 22nd Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, acknowledging that legal provisions bar anyone from being elected to the nation’s highest office more than twice. However, the president asserted that because he ran three times and, by his estimation, won every single race, Democratic irregularities in 2020 superseded the conventional restriction.
“They rigged the election… and because they cheated us, I have the right to run again,” Trump told the cheering audience, encouraging voters to rally behind Republican candidates in the upcoming midterm elections.
The comments mark the latest instance in which Trump has floated the prospect of remaining in power beyond his second presidential term. Speculation previously surged after his official retail outlet began selling “Trump 2028” commemorative merchandise, which he subsequently wore during a White House press event.
While political allies, including House Speaker Mike Johnson, have previously brushed off similar statements as playful political barbs designed to bait the opposition, critics and legal scholars warn that such rhetoric directly challenges foundational constitutional norms. Legal experts emphasize that the 22nd Amendment provides no exception based on electoral disputes, rendering any third presidential term unconstitutional.
Source: The Guardian (via campaign speech in Sioux City, Iowa)