Steve Bannon, former senior adviser to Donald Trump during his first term in the White House, has made a decidedly provocative statement.
According to the latter, in four years the MAGA leader may run again for president to secure a third term, thus defying the 22nd Amendment of the Constitution.
“Donald John Trump is going to raise his hand on the King James Bible and take the oath of office, his third victory and his second term,” Bannon said in a speech at the New York Young Republican Club’s 112th annual gala, “Since it doesn’t actually say consecutive, I don’t know, maybe we do it again in ‘28? Are you guys down for that? Trump ‘28?”.
The 22nd Amendment, ratified in 1951, states that no person shall be elected to the office of President more than twice. The amendment is widely understood as prohibiting anyone from holding the presidency for more than two terms, regardless of whether those terms are consecutive or not.
This is not the first time Bannon has said something similar. Last May, for example, he stated that allowing Trump to serve more than two terms would require two-thirds of the House and Senate.
The MAGA leader himself had joked on the subject in the recent past. During a meeting with House Republicans a little over a month ago, the president-elect had stated: “I suspect I won’t be running again, unless you do something. Unless you say, ‘He’s so good, we have to just figure it out.’”
Even in 2020 Trump made somewhat similar statements during a rally in Nevada, hinting at his intention to win a third term, and consequently raising the concerns of all those Democrats who have attributed dictatorial aspirations to him.
However, after last November’s words in the House, supporters of the MAGA leader claimed that Trump’s was just a joke.
