Former President Donald Trump has asserted that he has the right to run for a third presidential term, citing unsubstantiated claims that the 2020 election was rigged. The 22nd Amendment to the U.S. Constitution expressly limits a president to two elected terms.
Speaking at a rally in Iowa on Thursday, Trump suggested that the amendment might not apply to him because, in his view, he was unfairly deprived of a victory in 2020. "They cheated us on the second one. And we won three times," Trump stated, adding, "I think I have the right to run again."
Trump has repeatedly claimed, without evidence, that he won the 2020 election. He has also invoked similar claims of fraud regarding other elections he has lost, including the 2016 Iowa caucus and California's presidential vote counts. He has previously acknowledged constitutional limitations on a third term, stating over the summer that "the law is very strong on that" and that "everybody wants me to do it, but the law is very strong."
Despite these legal barriers and past acknowledgments, Trump has also engaged in activities suggesting a future presidential run, including the sale of merchandise bearing "Trump 2028" and the sharing of related imagery and memes.