Tyranny in the Making

Don’t Underestimate the Quest for a Third Term

On a Sunday call, Donald Trump again raised the spectre of a third term in office, a notion that has been bandied about and often dismissed as a joke — even by some of his inner circle.

It’s not a joke any more.

In speaking with NBC News’ Kristen Welker, Trump finally admitted that to him, the prospect is very, very real. “A lot of people want me to do it,” he said. And there was no follow-on of how it was impossible or implausible. He merely continued with, “But…my thinking is, we have a long way to go.” The interview continued.

Welker didn’t let the issue go, at least not entirely. So he followed up when she asked about strategies by which he might make it happen. “There are methods which you could do it,” he said. If at that moment, everyone within earshot didn’t consider that either the old man is in the throes of dementia or that he should be arrested, I don’t know what they were doing. He doubled down, “I’m not joking.” So for anyone who thought he might be joking (ahem, cue you, Karoline Leavitt), he made it clear that he was not.

Welker even mentioned to Trump an idea that had been floated somewhere that JD Vance might run for, and be elected, president in 2028, and then just hand the reins back over to Donald. Trump…