Mike Johnson Pours Cold Water All Over Trump Third Term: ‘Read the Constitution’

 

House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) poured cold water all over the idea that President Donald Trump could serve a third term in office during a press conference on Tuesday.

“Mr. Speaker, President Trump this week in an interview with my colleague, Kristen Walker, said that when he repeatedly brings up the idea of running for a third term that he is not joking. You are a constitutional law expert. Is there a legal constitutional path for him to seek a third term and would you support him if he went down that road?” an off-camera reporter asked the speaker.

“Well, I just told everybody to read the Constitution. There’s a constitutional path, so you have to amend the Constitution to do it, and that’s a high bar,” Johnson replied, before offering praise for Trump:

You know, the president and I have talked about this, joked about it. He’s joked with me on stage before. You know we take him at his word. I understand why so many Americans do wish that he could run for a third term, because he’s accomplished so much in this first 100 days that they wish it could go on for much longer. But I think he recognizes the constitutional limitations, and I’m not sure that there’s a move about to amend the Constitution.

Trump raised eyebrows across the media over the weekend when he said he had clear paths to a third term. “You know, a lot of people would like me to do that,” Trump told Welker on Meet the Press Sunday.

“But, I mean, I basically tell them, we have a long way to go, you know, it’s very early in the administration,” he added.

“Have you been presented with any potential plans that would allow you to serve a third term?” Welker pressed.

Trump replied, “There are plans. There are – not plans. There are, there are methods which you could do it, as you know.”

As the conversation evolved, the two discussed JD Vance running for president and then stepping aside to let Trump serve out the term, which Trump suggested was a possibility.

“Sir, I’m hearing – you don’t sound like you’re joking,” Welker asked. “I’ve heard you joke about this a number of times.”

“No, no I’m not joking,” Trump responded. “I’m not joking … But, I’m not – it is far too early to think about it.”

Watch the clip above via C-SPAN.

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Alex Griffing is a Senior Editor at Mediaite. Send tips via email: alexanderg@mediaite.com. Follow him on Twitter: @alexgriffing