Is it possible we might hear “President-elect Donald Trump” again? The former president may become the 47th president after President Joe Biden’s term concludes on January 20, 2025, by defeating Vice-President Kamala Harris in the 2024 US Presidential Election. That scenario involves a lot of presidents.
The Republican candidate appears to have secured a significant victory, given how competitive the race was anticipated to be. At the time of writing, Trump won four out of the seven swing states and led in the remaining three.
He secured victories over the Democratic nominee in Pennsylvania, Georgia, and North Carolina, while maintaining a lead in Nevada, Arizona, and Michigan. Additionally, he captured four of the five electoral votes in the highly contested state of Nebraska.
Whether you’re supportive or opposed to Trump, you might be curious about the likelihood of him remaining in office after his upcoming four-year term.
But before we delve into that, let’s revisit some history.
We all remember Trump’s reaction to his loss against Biden in 2020—he vehemently contested the results, claiming foul play and inciting the Capitol riots that occurred on January 6.
An inquiry later concluded that Trump’s tweet, posted at 01:42 local time on December 19, 2020, fueled the aggression in Washington D.C.
The tweet stated: “Statistically impossible to have lost the 2020 Election. Big protest in D.C. on January 6th. Be there, will be wild.”
This followed a six-hour meeting at the White House where his assertions of ballot box tampering leading to Biden’s victory were dismissed by officials.
The select committee also accused Trump of attempting a coup to retain power.
So, while he allegedly attempted to hold power before, could President-elect Trump attempt it again at the conclusion of his second term on January 20, 2029?
There is a constitutional loophole that might allow Trump to serve a third term, though it is not as simple as winning another election.
Winning a third election would be illegal, but there’s another potential route. Legal experts have noted that due to the language in the amendment, specifically the use of the term ‘elected,’ the House of Representatives could theoretically appoint him for a third term. However, this has never been attempted, so its legal standing is uncertain.
Former Secretary of State Dean Acheson discussed this concept back in 1960, saying: “It may be more unlikely than unconstitutional.”
While it seems improbable, with Trump, it’s difficult to completely dismiss any possibility!