Dershowitz Tells Trump It’s ‘Unclear’ Constitution Forbids Third Term

Speculation about President Donald Trump and a potential third term has resurfaced following a recent meeting in the Oval Office with constitutional scholar Alan Dershowitz, who revealed that he presented Trump with a draft of an upcoming book addressing the issue.

According to Dershowitz, the manuscript—titled “Could President Trump Constitutionally Serve a Third Term?” and scheduled for release next year—lays out a range of constitutional theories that could be tested despite the 22nd Amendment’s two-term limit on presidents. Trump, Dershowitz said, expressed interest in reviewing the book and asked about its conclusions.

“I said ‘it’s not clear if a president can become a third term president and it’s not clear if it’s permissible,’” said Dershowitz, who represented Trump during his first impeachment trial.

Dershowitz recounted that after hearing the explanation, Trump reacted calmly and moved the conversation along. “He found it interesting as an intellectual issue,” Dershowitz said. “Do I think he’s going to run for a third term? No, I don’t think he will run for a third term.”

The Wall Street Journal reported that Dershowitz told the paper he had informed Trump that “the Constitution wasn’t clear on the issue.” He added that the book explores unusual but theoretically possible pathways, including a scenario in which a future election is thrown to Congress. In that case, Dershowitz suggested, the Electoral College could decline to vote, compelling lawmakers to decide the outcome. “They then select, and not elect, the president,” he explained.

Asked about the meeting and Trump’s posture, White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson offered a supportive response, saying, “The country would be lucky if he served a longer period of time.”

Trump himself has publicly addressed the issue. In October, he acknowledged that constitutional limits bar him from seeking another term, saying he is “not allowed” to do so. Those remarks came as some supporters openly speculated about a 2028 run.

Fueling that speculation were red hats emblazoned with “Trump 2028” that appeared on the president’s Oval Office desk. Some backers floated the idea of a future ticket featuring Vice President JD Vance, but Trump brushed that aside, saying it was “pretty clear” he couldn’t run again. “But we have a lot of great people,” he added.

More recently, Trump said it is too early to formally designate a successor for the 2028 race, though he noted that Vance is currently viewed as the leading figure to carry the Republican banner.

{Matzav.com}