It feels like America isn’t taking the idea of a third Trump term seriously — that’s terrifying.
Mistakenly assuming that an inevitable “return to norm” is on the horizon is a big reason why we’re here.
By Carron J. Phillips
Once you’ve done the unthinkable, doing the impossible becomes the standard. Consider this mindset when thinking about someone like President Donald Trump, who seems to believe—and has shown—that the rules don’t apply to him. His hints about seeking a third term aren’t crazy. Americans not believing him, however, is.
People only do what you allow them to do. And because this country has largely permitted Trump to say and do whatever he pleases, both in and out of office—often without facing consequences—why would he stop now? More important, why do Americans seem to treat this ridiculous idea so casually?
“We have the greatest economy we’ve ever had, I have my highest poll numbers that I’ve ever had,” Trump recently told reporters aboard Air Force One. “And, you know, based on what I read, I guess I’m not allowed to run. So, we’ll see what happens.”
A quick Google search will prove that the “leader of the free world” is a professional liar. Our economy is not in a secure place, and Trump’s approval ratings are hitting new lows. However, the most egregious thing he told reporters was that he’ll see “what happens” about running for a third term, despite his admitting that he understands that it isn’t allowed. These are the words of a man who comprehends that he isn’t permitted to do something but is still leaving the idea on the table simply because he’s already bulldozed his way through every person, law, or precedent that was meant to stop him.
This is what happens when a twice-impeached president who led an insurrection on the U.S. Capitol, and who has faced countless lawsuits becomes the occupant of the Oval Office for a second time because your hatred for women, Black people, and the combination of the two was the catalyst for horrific decisions inside a voting booth.
“Well, there’s the 22nd Amendment,” House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) recently said about the topic. “It’s been a great run. But I think the president knows, and he and I have talked about, the constrictions of the Constitution, as much as so many of the American people lament that.”
It’s all a joke, Johnson seemed to imply. “The Trump 2028 cap is one of the most popular that’s ever been produced. And he has a good time with that, trolling the Democrats, whose hair is on fire about the very prospect,” he said.
Trump had the hat on his desk when he met with congressional leaders last month. “It was all so unserious,” said House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries (N.Y.). “We were there for serious reasons that it wasn’t really a big part of, you know, the discussion. It was theatrics.”
The idea of a president and an administration taking joy in trolling their country’s citizens sounds like something straight out of a comic book from the Cold War era or a storyline from an old James Bond film. Sadly, it’s become our reality. And men like Steve Bannon are openly making statements that should prompt Americans to treat this with the gravity it deserves.
“Trump is going to be president in ’28, and people ought to just get accommodated with that,” the president’s former chief strategist told The Economist last month.
“At the appropriate time, we’ll lay out what the plan is. But there is a plan.”
This week, The Telegraph published an article detailing what the proposed plan could entail. There was a suggestion about exploiting a loophole by having Trump run as a vice-presidential candidate, with the hope that the Republican presidential candidate would win and then step aside, allowing Trump to take over. Although this scheme would be complicated by the 12th Amendment, given Trump’s history, the legalities involved are hardly something Americans should trust as a guardrail.
The report also suggests idealistic paths that include reaching the Oval Office through becoming speaker of the House, manipulating the court system, and attempting to amend the Constitution.
These ideas are beyond far-fetched. However, people said the same thing before a reality TV star beat almost 20 people, including many professional politicians, to win the Republican nomination for president in 2016—a feat for a political career that began with Trump perpetuating the false idea that Barack Obama wasn’t a natural-born American citizen.
Evil can’t stop in the same way that crazy knows no bounds.
A few weeks ago, millions took to the streets in a historic protest to show their unified outrage directed at this president and his administration. Weeks later, the faux momentum from that day is all but dead—as I expected. The point of the “No Kings Protest” was to object to the idea that monarchies are allowed in this country. And yet, Trump keeps toying with the idea that he plans to start one, while America keeps hoping that normalcy will be restored to a land that was founded by outliers.
Carron J. Phillips is an award-winning journalist who writes on race, culture, social issues, politics, and sports. He hails from Saginaw, Michigan, and is a graduate of Morehouse College and Syracuse University.
A big problem is the media asks him these types of things as if the premise is sound. They never say, for instance, “You are constitutionally prohibited from running again or of being on a ballot. Do you not agree that saying otherwise is a violation of your oath of office?” Instead it’s “You haven’t ruled out running for a third term. How would you do that?” Regardless, he will be long dead in 2028.
Contrarian, please don't use AI-generated art; that is not why we're here.