If he keeps up with this after the midterms, it's going to make it impossible for anyone else to run (which is presumably the point - he doesn't want to be a lame duck). - ThreadSky

samfr.bsky.social • 84 days ago

If he keeps up with this after the midterms, it's going to make it impossible for anyone else to run (which is presumably the point - he doesn't want to be a lame duck).

Reposted from MSNBC

Trump won’t rule out seeking a third term in the White House, tells NBC News ‘there are methods’ for doing so

Comments

ianleslie.bsky.social•84 days ago

Great point…things are going to get very weird on that front

samfr.bsky.social•84 days ago

What does Vance do etc...

valcob.bsky.social•84 days ago

The delicious possibility of internal squabbles I hope.

generalliederkranz.bsky.social•84 days ago

There have recently been a a couple articles including in WSJ about how Vance is the front runner for ‘28. I read those as trying to preemptively exclude Trump from ‘28 conversations (not likely to work, like a lot of WSJ “don’t be crazy” messages these days).

paulhaine.bsky.social•84 days ago

Vance will do whatever he's told to do, and like it.

milesbrasher.bsky.social•84 days ago

He's doing that now, but he must see that as a means to an end. When that "end" gets taken away, is he still going to be Trump's little helper?

eubanksengineeringresearch.com•84 days ago

Vance is young. He’s got decades to be President for Life after Trump kicks it. And he’s more likely to get the Big Chair if Trump dies in office than if he has to stand for election in his own right because he’s such weird little couchfucker, and he knows it.

jamessinclairsmith.bsky.social•84 days ago

I think that is a very dangerous assumption. Vance is out for Vance and he’s a true believer with an eye on the big chair.

prudencegoodwife.bsky.social•84 days ago

"I like working" Now watch this drive...

amandagillender.bsky.social•84 days ago

You find yourself in the middle of a world war, don't you? Isn't that what happened to Roosevelt?
Perhaps that's what's behind all his belligerence!

oldmanrambling.bsky.social•84 days ago

Yes, the method is to rip up the Constitution and declare a dictatorship. He is half way there.

funkadeefunk.bsky.social•84 days ago

If he tries, Obama stands against him.

paulhaine.bsky.social•84 days ago

I think the possibility of Obama standing against him would only encourage him. Having beaten Clinton and Biden he'd love to have a go at beating Obama as well

funkadeefunk.bsky.social•84 days ago

He didn’t beat Biden. Anyway, I’d love to see the polling between Obama & Trump right now.

paulhaine.bsky.social•84 days ago

Actually forgot for a moment that Biden didn't run, I must be losing it. I'm sure in Trump's head he counts it as a win, anyway

fieldbean.bsky.social•84 days ago

My first thought

jontia.bsky.social•84 days ago

Surely he has to win the midterms as well? A big GOP loss in the midterms would kick off a 'new leadership, new direction' narrative, wouldn't it?

peterb333.bsky.social•84 days ago

Let's see how far he declines mentally between now and then.

ouranocracy.bsky.social•84 days ago

Trump has a very weird relationship with Elon Musk, but I haven't seen any evidence that he would ever share (much less concede) the spotlight to any other human being. He hates all of the other Republican goons including his own sons.

aremay.bsky.social•84 days ago

I don't doubt he wants too. I also doubt whether a man undergoing the depth of age-driven deterioration we saw last year and so far this year will, in 3 years time, be in a position to do this.

samfr.bsky.social•84 days ago

This could be a big problem for the GOP. If no one can do anything while Trump is trying to find a way to run again, or even just pretending he might, how would they have primaries?

ilmarinen7.bsky.social•83 days ago

Have wondered if the US far right may come to regret building their cult of personality around a Supreme Leader who's already nearing 80 and declining. Not much time to bed in autocratic structures before need to unveil their Kim Jong Il.

Or maybe someone thinks they'll be Stalin to Trump's Lenin.

stevenjcbuckley.bsky.social•84 days ago

I think 1 thing underpriced atm is his potential mental decline (yeh I know it's bad anyway).

But when you consider how far Biden regressed during his 4 years, Trump could potentially find himself in a similar position.

tadaaa.bsky.social•84 days ago

Maybe it will be easier to simply pretend he is his president

& run the real thing in parallel

A way for both the Dems & GOP to save face - so the broad status quo of elderly white men in charge can continue

Only half joking

alaintwigger.bsky.social•84 days ago

That is exactly what happened to his father when he got Alzheimer's.

https://www.theneweuropean.co.uk/nicky-woolf-when-fred-trump-lost-his-mind/

tadaaa.bsky.social•84 days ago

Thanks for that - interesting read, matches the recent film (which I thought was actually pretty good)

alaintwigger.bsky.social•84 days ago

Notice how "the Donald" took advantage of the situation to add a codicil to the old man's will in favour of, guess who. Plus ça change.

tadaaa.bsky.social•84 days ago

Other precedents

Https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/portugal-former-dictator-salazar-book-b2007149.html

samfr.bsky.social•84 days ago

Like Dorothy Parker when told Calvin Coolidge had died - "how can they tell?"

cerishields.bsky.social•84 days ago

One of the problems with people always comparing everything to Germany in the 1930s is how other intriguing examples get overlooked. For instance, the last part of Salazar’s dictatorship in Portugal.

Of course, in his case it was done with *relatively* benign intent.

eubanksengineeringresearch.com•84 days ago

Details for those of us ignorant of history?

lukecorcoran.bsky.social•84 days ago

Salazar was fooled into thinking he was running the country when he wasn't, there were fake newspapers made and fake official documents and all kinds.

milesbrasher.bsky.social•84 days ago

Doesn't even need to be real. He'll be older than Biden was during the last campaign, and it would be an easy target for the Dems campaign with Bidens issues so fresh in people's memories.

jamesh1977.bsky.social•84 days ago

What could he do that would alarm people (republicans) at this point? Do you think they invoke the 25th amendment if he invades Greenland? If he completely crashes the economy but insists he’s saved it? I don’t.

invalidham.bsky.social•84 days ago

The medias obsession with downplaying the mental decline of our gerontocracy knows no political bounds (except when it's convenient)

lairddinnaken.bsky.social•84 days ago

I think it’s an enormous assumption for anyone familiar with fascism to any degree to assume there will be free and fair elections, or any, in 2026*

* Currently reading Bosworth’s ‘Mussolini’s Italy’ and the alarm bells are deafening me…😑

martymcd.bsky.social•84 days ago

He's just ordered DOGE to review the State's voter rolls, I'm imagining red State's will welcome him in, blue State's not so much but the swing State's will be the ones to watch

robknapp.bsky.social•84 days ago

Yep, my thoughts.

wtalty.bsky.social•84 days ago

JD would be the nominee by default I imagine

nearlytoolate.bsky.social•84 days ago

Anyone else for the republicans, or anyone else full stop? I think it’s an increasingly plausible scenario that there will be no possibility of electorally defeating trump/gop. It’s very clear they intend to corrupt the electoral system, perhaps beyond repair

pipkazan.bsky.social•84 days ago

I firmly believe they are proceeding on the assumption that there won’t be midterms. They wouldn’t be going this hard if they intended to let themselves be held accountable.

metrofire.bsky.social•84 days ago

Whats the alternative? the dems are more polite but still shit.

jodami.bsky.social•84 days ago

Their Constitution is written in sand.

Once you allow the politicalisation of your courts, your democracy is a sham.

tadaaa.bsky.social•84 days ago

That description nails it tbh

edacuk.bsky.social•84 days ago

Lame duck implies he can't get congress to pass any of his legislation. He doesn't care if they do or don't. He's just making shit up and people are doing it.

cappison.bsky.social•84 days ago

Obama 2028!!!

markfreed.bsky.social•84 days ago

He is likely to be dead. He is 78 with a dreadful diet and growing dementia.

sejwords.bsky.social•84 days ago

He’ll be trying martial law for sure. If Zelensky can do it why can’t he?

waluigiyaoi.bsky.social•84 days ago

There is a plausible scenario where trump refuses to not be the nominee and just sorta drops dead from old when it’s too late to easily replace him

waluigiyaoi.bsky.social•84 days ago

I think people forget that even if he was perfectly healthy (he’s not) he’s still in the age bracket of dying for no reason

jamesh1977.bsky.social•84 days ago

He’s doing that thing he did in the first term - yes it’s flooding the zone - but it’s also opening up new fronts everywhere. I know it seems like he’s tearing the country down (and he’s certainly trying) but it wouldn’t surprise me if he accomplished pretty much nothing this term in reality.

timeforheroes.bsky.social•84 days ago

He wouldn't win a 3rd term but I doubt the elections are going to be free & fair anyway, by the time 2028 comes around he will have bludgeoned the electoral system and it's oversight and regulation beyond recognition.

rickchasey.bsky.social•84 days ago

Surely the plan is to go full Orban ahead of the midterms?

sfannie53.bsky.social•84 days ago

“Trump won’t rule out ignoring the Constitution.”
We need the CIA.

jacktindale.bsky.social•84 days ago

The mean of the GOP and the Supreme Court has got to the point where the obvious outcome is that he runs, get’s nominated, and the entire electoral cycle is then based on “do we let him do this?”.

joxley.jmoxley.co.uk•84 days ago

These come to mind:

joxley.jmoxley.co.uk•84 days ago

More seriously though, this sets up a fight between "Let Donny Trump do what he wants" GOP and "I want to be president one day" GOP. Also means the 25th looks more attractive to Vance if he thinks that's a pull able lever.

joxley.jmoxley.co.uk•84 days ago

Still think the more likely fight is when DJT declares one of his children his obvious successor.

samfr.bsky.social•84 days ago

If he's serious about a 3rd term the only route I can see evenly plausibly working is running as VP behind Eric or Don Jr and then they resign day one.

thinkfoo.uk•84 days ago

Do you think the USA could survive that without Blue States seriously starting down the secession route?

guywigmore.bsky.social•83 days ago

20th amendment seems clear - "Congress may by law provide for the case wherein neither a President elect nor a Vice President elect shall have qualified, declaring who shall then act as President".

dotskyy.bsky.social•84 days ago

Yep, more wriggle room there

simonrjohnson.bsky.social•84 days ago

If Eric or Don Jr are elected president he can keep running the show with no official job title, like Deng Xiaoping did

martymcd.bsky.social•84 days ago

Former president can't run as VP for exactly the same reason, they are first in line. Think he's more likely to argue 22A means 'two consecutive terms'

samfr.bsky.social•84 days ago

This is it. Opens up all sorts of dramas.

samfr.bsky.social•84 days ago

I think that's true of the GOP but not the Supreme Court (yet anyway).

samfr.bsky.social•84 days ago

(I don't think they could stop him being nominated but I don't think Roberts/Barrett and maybe Kavanaugh let him run.)

salvey1.bsky.social•84 days ago

The more important question is whether the election is anything close to fair, and whether anyone has a chance of beating JD Trump

lappypercival.bsky.social•84 days ago

at that point the question becomes 'who controls the election-running offices in the states after the 2026 midterms'

jacktindale.bsky.social•84 days ago

Yeah I don’t disagree given Roberts (although I do find it morbidly entertaining that Alito has ended up as being the most headbanger amongst the current bench. He’s 74 and is just watching Fox News 24/7).

jacktindale.bsky.social•84 days ago

TBH I am still 50/50 that SCOTUS just pass a 5-4 decision of “Donald can run three times because he is a special little boy and the 22nd only applies to consecutive terms so that rules out Obama. Signed, Clarence Thomas”.

jamesh1977.bsky.social•84 days ago

Where does this non consecutive term stuff come from? The text seems very clear to me and doesn’t even slightly imply this is a possibility.

eubanksengineeringresearch.com•84 days ago

From John Roberts’ colon.

bclaycomb.bsky.social•84 days ago

He doesn’t ever want to give up power again. That would make him vulnerable, and he’s not going to take that chance

philmansfield.bsky.social•84 days ago

His motivation is to avoid prison

wordilocks.bsky.social•84 days ago

He is distracting us from #SignalGate
and firing Hegseth and Waltz. It is the ONE topic he wants to disappear.

malcpowers.bsky.social•84 days ago

What makes you think the midterms will make a difference. Even if the Dems do win either the House or the Senate, the administration won't let them take their seats.

rajacexplains.bsky.social•84 days ago

"Trump does not rule out third term" is up there with "the Rolling Stones do not rule out new tour" and "Disney do not rule out new MCU film" in that it's so predictable as to just barely qualify as news.

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