Though he’s only about 100 days into his second and final term as president, Donald Trump is already selling “Trump 2028” merchandise–fueling ongoing talks about the 45th and 47th president seeking a third term despite its unconstitutionality.
The Trump Organization, President Trump’s family business, is now selling 2028 Make America Great Again hats in its signature red for $50 on its online store. The president’s son, Eric Trump, was photographed wearing the red cap, which is being marketed by the organization as a way to “rewrite the rules.”
The online sale is sure to drive continued talks about Trump seeking another term in office. However, the Constitution clearly limits a U.S. president to only two four-year terms.
The 22nd Amendment, which was ratified by the states in 1951, says, “No person shall be elected to the office of the President more than twice, and no person who has held the office of President, or acted as 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.”
Despite constitutional limitations, Trump has repeatedly expressed his desire to serve a third term and even said he’d like to be “president forever.” President Trump has gone as far as signaling to Republican lawmakers that he’d like them to take up the issue in Congress.
“I suspect I won’t be running again unless you do something,” he told GOP members of Congress during a meeting shortly after being inaugurated in January. He added, “Unless you say, ‘He’s so good, we have to just figure it out.’”
Based on U.S. law, the only way for Trump to be able to serve beyond his second term is for the Constitution to be amended either by a vote in the affirmative by two-thirds of Congress or by ratifying the Constitution through a special meeting known as a convention, where three-fourths of all 50 U.S. states must agree to it. Neither outcome is likely given political divisions between the Democratic and Republican parties and the voting electorate.
Democratic strategist Ameshia Cross told theGrio that Trump is “wading into full blown authoritarianism” with his repeated flirtation with seeking a third term. “I don’t think that he is joking when he talks about 2028 and when he talks about running again, even though the Constitution bans a third term,” she shared.
Cross said Trump has demonstrated “multiple times” throughout his presidencies and private life that he “has no hubris about him when it comes to the law,” adding, “He doesn’t believe he has to follow it. He doesn’t believe that the laws were made for him, and he believes that he can skirt them all.”
During a recent interview with TIME Magazine, President Trump was more coy when asked about his previous statement that he was “not joking” about seeking a third term in office. “I’d rather not discuss that now, but as you know, there are some loopholes that have been discussed that are well known. But I don’t believe in loopholes,” said Trump.
Cross assessed that Trump’s reticence was a reflection of his desire to show “strength” amid recent polling showing Americans are growing frustrated with his job performance, particularly on the economy, immigration and actions taken by the Elon Musk-led Department of Government Efficiency.
“[He] knows that the polling is looking a little shaky…whenever he feels that he is underwater, he tries to exert some level of strength and force,” she said. “This is him being Trump, using the bravado, responding in this way that will at least ratchet up his base. But I don’t think it’s going to
work long term.”
