Trump makes U-turn, says he won’t seek third term

US President Donald Trump says he is not looking forward to a third term in office.

Speaking in an interview on NBC, Trump said he would hand over power to a “great Republican” after completing his constitutionally permissible two terms of eight years. 

“So many people want me to do it. I have never had requests so strong as that. But it’s something that, to the best of my knowledge, you’re not allowed to do,” he said.

“I don’t know if that is constitutional that they’re not allowing you to do it or anything else. But, there are many people selling the 2028 hat.

“But this is not something I’m looking to do. I’m looking to have four great years and turn it over to somebody, ideally a great Republican, a great Republican to carry it forward.

“But I think we’re going to have four years, and I think four years is plenty of time to do something really spectacular.”

BACKGROUND

Trump is currently serving his second term in office.

In March, Trump said he was considering the possibility of a third term in the White House despite prohibition by the constitution.

The president had said “there are methods which you could do it”, when asked if he had been presented with a plan for the move. 

In January, Andy Ogles, a Republican house member, introduced a bill seeking to allow Trump to run for a third term.

Ogles had claimed that Trump “has proven himself to be the only figure in modern history capable of reversing our nation’s decay and restoring America to greatness”.

The US constitution does not permit anyone to be elected to the office of the president more than twice, based on the 22nd amendment.

The 22nd amendment was proposed in 1947 and adopted in 1951. It was ratified to prevent the President Franklin Roosevelt scenario.

Roosevelt ran for the presidency and won four times (1933-1945). He died in 1945, less than 90 days after his fourth inauguration.

Afterwards, Americans welcomed George Washington’s proposition that any president who served more than two terms would likely transition into a king or dictator.

Washington is the founding father of the United States and the country’s first president.