close
close

Can Trump run for president in 2028? See presidential term limits

Can Trump run for president in 2028? See presidential term limits

play

President-elect Donald Trump – the former 45th President of the United States – will now be the 47th President following his election victory on November 5th.

So far, Trump has won 277 electoral votes, while Vice President Kamala Harris has won 224 electoral votes. To win the presidency, candidates need 270.

While Trump was only a one-term president in 2016, some may wonder whether he could run again in 2028.

Here's a breakdown of how presidential terms work.

How many times can someone run for president?

There are term limits rules on how many times a person can hold office.

Here is a simple explanation of what the 22nd Amendment says about presidential terms.

  • No one can be elected president more than twice.
  • If someone serves an unexpired term or holds the office of president for more than two years, they can only be elected president once.

The 22nd Amendment prevents Trump from seeking a third term in 2028. This restriction applies even if his two terms of office are not consecutive.

Has a sitting president ever served more than two terms?

Yes, the 32nd President, Franklin D. Roosevelt, served from 1933 to 1945. He was the longest serving president in US history.

Why was the 22nd Amendment ratified?

In response to President Franklin D. Roosevelt's term in office, the 22nd Amendment was ratified in 1951, limiting presidential terms to two terms.

Roosevelt's presidency began in 1933 during the Great Depression and lasted over 12 years until his death on April 12, 1945, during his fourth term. The amendment was pushed primarily by Republicans who wanted to prevent a future president from holding office for an extended period of time.

Has anyone tried to run for president for more than two terms?

Several previous presidents have explored the possibility of a third term before the 22nd Amendment was ratified:

  • In 1880, Ulysses S. Grant sought a third term but lost the Republican Party nomination to James Garfield.
  • Grover Cleveland lacked the necessary party support to run for a third term.
  • Woodrow Wilson hoped a deadlocked Congress in 1920 would lead to his nomination for a third term.
  • Theodore Roosevelt initially declined to run for a third term in 1908. However, a dispute with President William Howard Taft led to him running as a third-party candidate in 1912. While Roosevelt defeated Taft in the election, both ultimately lost to Woodrow Wilson.

Which presidents have won non-consecutive elections?

Grover Cleveland, the only president to serve two non-consecutive terms, served as the 22nd and 24th Presidents of the United States.

He won the presidential elections of 1884 and 1892.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *