US President Donald Trump has made a tongue-in-cheek remark about extending his stay in office, teasing a third term. The comment came while the president spoke at a recent White House event.
Donald Trump jokes about staying in office for 8-9 years
Donald Trump joked about staying in office beyond the end of his term. “When I get out of office in, let’s say, eight or nine years from now, I’ll be able to use it. I’ll be able to use it myself,” the president quipped, drawing laughter from the room.
He made the comment in the White House’s East Room on Monday. Trump did so while addressing business leaders about a proposed piece of legislation. It would allow companies to deduct expenses for new facilities from their taxes.
The joke comes after Trump had previously admitted that “it’s pretty clear” that he would not be able to run for a third term. His current presidency ends in January 2029. “I’m not allowed to run. It’s too bad,” the president added.
Trump cited the 22nd Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, which states, “No person shall be elected to the office of the President more than twice, and no person who has held the office of President, or acted as President, for more than two years of a term to which some other person was elected President shall be elected to the office of the President more than once.”
House Speaker Mike Johnson had also noted that he did not see how the president could extend his stay in office (via ABC News). During a news conference on Capitol Hill in October 2025, Johnson stated, “It’s been a great run, but I think the president knows, and he and I have talked about, the constrictions of the Constitution, as much as so many of the American people lament that.”
Originally reported by Namrata Ghosh for Mandatory.
