This piece includes my personal commentary and analysis. It reflects my interpretation of current events alongside verified historical facts.
My Take
Recently on social media, a video is being shared of Steve Bannon talking about Donald Trump serving a third term in 2028 and the “different alternatives” that could make it happen.
You’d think that goes directly against the Twenty-Second Amendment — you know, the one that limits a president to two elected terms.
Well, let’s take a look at what that amendment actually says — and why this should scare the hell out of you.
If the first year of Trump’s second term has shown anything, it’s that he doesn’t care about what this country was founded on.
He’s handed out massive bailouts to Argentina while American farmers are getting crushed.
The U.S. dollar is slipping. His tariffs have driven up the cost of everything, and he’s manufacturing conflict in Democratic cities just to keep his base angry.
He’s even said he “hates his opponents.”
That isn’t leadership — it’s division as a political strategy.
The Facts Behind the 22nd Amendment
“No person shall be elected to the office of the President more than twice, and no person who has held the office of President … for more than two years of a term to which some other person was elected President shall be elected to the office of the President more than once.”
— The U.S. Constitution, Amendment XXII (constitution.congress.gov)
The Founding Fathers didn’t include term limits in the original Constitution. They debated lifetime presidencies and long tenures, but ultimately left it open.
Then came Franklin D. Roosevelt — elected four times. He served three full terms and died 82 days into his fourth.
In 1951, Congress and the states said enough. The 22nd Amendment was ratified to make the two-term limit law.
Could an Election Be Postponed in a Crisis?
At first, I wondered if there was some loophole — could a president delay an election during wartime or a national emergency?
Because let’s be honest: if anyone would manufacture a crisis to stay in power, it’s Trump. V for Vendetta might be fiction, but the mindset isn’t.
The truth is, the President cannot legally postpone or cancel a federal election.
The date is set by Congress, and even during the Civil War and World Wars, the U.S. held elections as scheduled. (Politifact)
But here’s what makes this era scarier than ever: Trump doesn’t respect limits.
He’s shown over and over that he can bend Congress to his will.
He’s convinced millions that checks and balances are “deep-state interference.”
He preaches that he needs total power to “make America great again,” but the reality is simple — he just wants to keep power.
The Legal Gray Area
Some people online claim Trump could run as Vice President in 2028, then take over after the President steps down.
The 22nd Amendment only says a person can’t be elected to the office more than twice, so technically it doesn’t ban serving again through succession.
But the Twelfth Amendment adds:
“No person constitutionally ineligible to the office of President shall be eligible to that of Vice-President.”
Most constitutional scholars say those two amendments together mean exactly what they sound like — a two-term President cannot come back through the side door. (FactCheck.org)
Why This Matters
Because this isn’t theory — it’s happening now.
The government is shut down.
Republicans control all three branches of government, but somehow it’s the Democrats’ fault.
Trump has poured billions into Argentina while American farmers get nothing.
We can find money for Kristi Noem’s private jets but not for programs that help Americans survive.
The same billionaires filling the Epstein Ballroom with donations could fix school lunch programs with pocket change — but why would they? An educated population isn’t useful to them.
So education gets defunded, tuition skyrockets, and they convince people that college is “indoctrination” even though they all have degrees themselves.
And then there’s the hypocrisy.
Back in 2013, Trump tweeted that a government shutdown was “the President’s fault.”
Now, he blames everyone else.
Because for him, unity was a talking point when Obama was President.
Division is the plan now.
This is why talk of a third term isn’t just noise.
It’s a warning.
It’s proof of how easily people can be convinced that democracy is the problem.
And it’s why we can’t afford to look away again.
Graze responsibly.