Dallas Mavericks owner reignites Trump third term debate. Could he run again?

President Donald Trump has spent years sending mixed signals about serving beyond two terms.

At rallies, he’s joked about staying longer, and in interviews he’s hinted that “there are methods” to make it happen.

Those comments recently resurfaced after Dallas Mavericks owner Miriam Adelson told Trump she would support him if he ran in 2028, which sparked fresh questions from people who aren’t sure what the Constitution actually permits.

The rules are more straightforward than the speculation suggests. Here’s what to know about presidential term limits and what’s legally possible.

What does the Constitution say about presidential term limits?

The Constitution limits presidents to two elected terms.

According to the Constitution Center, the 22nd Amendment states that “no person shall be elected to the office of the President more than twice.”

The rule took effect in 1951 after Franklin D. Roosevelt won four elections, which prompted lawmakers to create a formal cap.

The amendment also says that anyone who serves more than two years of another president’s term can only be elected once. This prevents a president from stretching their time in office much longer than eight years.

Because Trump has already been elected twice, the amendment blocks him from running in 2028.

Why do people think Trump might still try for a third term?

Trump’s mixed comments over the years have created space for speculation, and those remarks often pick up momentum when they’re echoed by his supporters.

Former strategist Steve Bannon has been one of the most vocal.

During an interview with The Economist, Bannon said “Trump is going to be president in ‘28 and people just ought to get accommodated with that.”

He also claimed there are “different alternatives” or “workarounds” to the Constitution’s amendment and that a plan would be laid out “in the appropriate time.” Other allies have taken more formal steps. Rep. Andy Ogles, a Tennessee Republican, introduced a resolution earlier this year that would amend the Constitution so a president could be elected to three terms.

But Trump has recently acknowledged the limit, telling reporters in late October that he’s “not allowed to run” again and calling it “too bad.”

Could Trump return to the presidency through another route?

There are unusual scenarios that legal scholars have debated, but none are tested or realistic.

For example, some law professors have questioned whether a former two-term president could serve as vice president, but the 12th Amendment says anyone ineligible to be president is also ineligible to be vice president.

Others have wondered whether a former president could become Speaker of the House and then enter the presidential line of succession.

The Library of Congress has discussed these hypotheticals, but notes neither the 12th nor the 22nd Amendment clearly addresses such scenarios.

Experts told CBS News that changing the Constitution to allow a third term would be extremely unlikely because it would require support from two thirds of Congress and ratification by three fourths of states.

In practice, there is no real path for Trump to legally serve a third term.