House Speaker Johnson pours cold water on Trump third term talk: Thats a high bar

House Speaker Mike Johnson gave a blunt reality check Tuesday to President Trump’s musings about pursuing a third term in the White House, telling reporters that amending the Constitution to allow such an effort would be a “high bar” to clear.“There’s a constitutional path.You have to amend the Constitution to do it, and that’s a high bar,” Johnson said when asked if Trump, 78, had an avenue to become the 48th president in addition to the 45th and 47th.“The president and I have talked about this, joked about it.

He’s joked about it with me on stage before,” added Johnson, 53.“You know, we take him at his word.”The 22nd Amendment, ratified in 1951, clearly states that “No person shall be elected to the office of the President more than twice.”An amendment to the Constitution must be approved by two-thirds of each chamber of Congress as well as three-quarters (38) of the 50 state legislatures.Alternately, 34 of the state legislatures can request Congress call a national convention to propose amendments, which must then be ratified by 38 states or more.

Neither scenario is likely due to Republicans holding narrow majorities in both the House and Senate.The most recent amendment, the 27th, was ratified in 1992 and requires an intervening election before any congressional pay increase can take effect.Trump has routinely joked about seeking a third term, but suggested over the weekend he was seriously considering the idea as well“A lot of people want me to do it,” Trump told NBC News.“But, I mean, I basically tell them we have a long way to go, you know, it’s very early in the administration.

… I’m focused on the current.”“I’m not joking,” the 47th president added.“But I’m not — it is far too early to think about it.”Some allies of the president have floated the possibility of him exploiting a succession loophole in the 22nd Amendment.While the 12th Amendment stipulates that “no person constitutionally ineligib...