"Some supporters have suggested that one way around the prohibition would be for Trump to run as vice president, while another candidate stood for election as president and resigned, letting Trump again assume the presidency. "I'd be allowed to do that," Trump said on Monday, in an exchange with reporters aboard Air Force One as he flew from Malaysia to Tokyo. But he added: "I wouldn't do that. I think it's too cute. Yeah, I would rule that out because it's too cute. I think the people wouldn't like that. It's too cute. It's not - it wouldn't be right.""
"Actually, Trump does not have his "best numbers ever," and as a matter of fact, his "numbers" have generally sucked, even though that hasn't kept him from beating two equally unpopular Democrats thanks to circumstances that don't have a lot to do with him. In any event, he clearly wants to keep alive the speculation that, just as he managed an extremely improbable comeback in 2024, he might find a way to stick around beyond 2028, despite the fact that he will be older than Joe Biden was in 2024 and despite, you know, the 22nd Amendment to the U.S. Constitution."
Supporters have floated schemes to circumvent the 22nd Amendment by nominating Trump as vice president and installing him after a resignation, but that approach faces legal and political obstacles. Trump has both dismissed such plans as "too cute" and expressed enthusiasm for a third term, claiming he has his "best numbers ever." Actual polling does not support that claim, and prior victories relied on opponents' weaknesses and circumstances. Age and the 22nd Amendment present clear constraints. The continued ambiguity in public statements sustains speculation among boosters despite acknowledged impracticalities.
Read at Intelligencer
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