AI weighs in on legal loophole that some say could lead Trump to office in 2029
President Donald Trump is currently serving his second and final term in the White House, but there are some folks out there who are hoping he could remain for a third.
Even Trump himself has commented on the possibility of a third term, telling NBC in 2025: “Well, there are plans. … There are methods which you could do it, as you know.”
He declined to comment further on the ‘methods’ but insisted that he was ‘not joking’.
The US Constitution is pretty clear that no one can serve more than two terms, with the 22nd Amendment stating: "No person shall be elected to the office of the President more than twice.”
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But with Trump admitting he’d ‘love to’ continue past January 2029, there have been some theories thrown around suggesting how he might do it.
One fairly prominent theory that’s gained traction in recent weeks is the idea that JD Vance could run for President with Trump as his Vice President.
If elected, Vance could then step down, clearing the way for Trump to once again become the US President.
On paper, this rather brazen strategy does seem as though it might work, but we asked AI to share its thoughts on the potential loophole and whether or not it might work in practice.
And the answer was a resounding ‘almost certainly not’.
“Donald Trump running as JD Vance's vice president, then becoming president if Vance resigned, is a constitutional loophole that has been debated by legal scholars. But there are significant legal obstacles, and it would almost certainly face a Supreme Court challenge,” it explained.
“The key issue is a potential conflict between the 22nd Amendment, which limits how many times someone can be elected president, and the 12th Amendment, which governs eligibility to become vice president.”
The issue boils down to the 22nd Amendment and, as Trump was voted in 2016 and 2024, he cannot be elected president for a third time.
However, some have argued that if Trump used Vance to get into office, he technically wouldn’t have been ‘elected’ for a third term - hence it being a loophole.
But for that point, the 12th Amendment could kick in, which states that ‘no person constitutionally ineligible to the office of President shall be eligible to that of Vice-President of the United States’, which some legal experts say would exclude Trump for running as Vance’s VP.
It’s also important to note that there is no definitive Supreme Court ruling settling this precise constitutional question, meaning that if Trump did attempt it he’d be heading into unchartered legal territory and would likely face some very significant legal challenges.
As for Trump, he also appeared to be against attempting that particular plan.
“I would rule that out because it’s too cute,” he said.
“I think the people wouldn’t like that.”
Responding to the initial rumours about Trump going for a third term back in 2025, White House Communications Director Steven Cheung said: “Americans overwhelmingly approve and support President Trump and his America First policies. As the President said, it’s far too early to think about it and he is focused on undoing all the hurt Biden has caused and Making America Great Again.”
Topics: US News, Donald Trump, Politics
Claire Reid