Democracy, as we know it, is crumbling before our eyes, and there is no apparent public outrage. If anyone cares about our Democracy surviving the Trump era, they should prepare for the possibility that President Trump may refuse to leave the White House at the end of his second term in 2028. The handwriting is on the wall.
Trump’s actions include renaming federal buildings after himself, demolishing historic White House structures to build a grand ballroom, and affixing self-portraits throughout the White House while removing pictures of some past presidents. He has seized past ballots for unnecessary reverification to test the playbook for 2028 and solicited illegal vote gerrymandering in friendly states.
Trump uses the power of government to prosecute political adversaries, purges the civil service of those not aligned with him, and enriches his family with unprecedented graft. These actions indicate his intent to remain in the White House beyond 2028. I have no doubt.
The Twenty-second Amendment (Amendment XXII) to the United States Constitution limits a person to being elected President of the United States twice and sets additional eligibility conditions for presidents who succeed to unexpired terms. It prohibits anyone elected president twice from being elected again. This language is as plain and clear as it could be. There is no ambiguity to exploit.
During recent event at the White House, Trump joked about leaving office in “eight or nine years,” implying he would serve beyond his current second term. These explosive remarks are not new. In January 2026, Trump suggested canceling elections because of the “psychological disadvantage the sitting president’s party faces during midterms.”
In his 2024 campaign and into 2025, Trump repeatedly told crowds they should refer to him as a “three-term” president, often citing his claim that the 2020 election was stolen as a reason his current term should “not count” toward the limit. Trump has occasionally praised world leaders who have abolished term limits.
Trump famously remarked on China’s Xi Jinping becoming “president for life,” stating, “Maybe we’ll have to give that a shot someday” and he has frequently mentioned Franklin D. Roosevelt, the only president to serve more than two terms. He suggests that because FDR served four terms, the precedent exists, even though the 22nd Amendment was passed to prevent that.
In various interviews, Trump has called the 22nd Amendment “arbitrary” and suggested that if the people want someone to stay, they should be allowed to vote for them regardless of how many terms they have served. All these remarks are not indicative of someone who would leave office at the end of his term.
Trump is employing the tactic of making those remarks to normalize the agenda ahead of the expiry of his term, when he would challenge the constitutional provisions barring him from remaining in office beyond 2028.
While Trump often frames these comments as “trolling” his political opponents, their frequency has caused significant alarm among legal scholars and well-meaning Americans. It is concerning that some Republicans, despite being aware of President Trump’s intent to remain in office beyond his permissible term, publicly dismiss his statements as jokes and continue to disregard the possibility of such a maneuver becoming a reality, which would likely receive support from MAGA-aligned members.
Trump’s third-term agenda have quietly taken hold. Some allies have moved to formalize the idea, showing they take the prospect seriously. In January 2025, Representative Andy Ogles (R-TN) introduced a House Joint Resolution to amend the Constitution to allow a President to serve up to three terms. Groups like the Republican Third Term Project and figures like Steve Bannon have openly pushed for a 2028 run.
At CPAC in February 2025, signage depicted Trump as a Roman Emperor with the slogan “For Trump 2028 And Beyond!” The Trump Organization’s online store and third-party vendors started selling “Trump 2028” apparel in April 2025, signaling an effort to normalize the concept within the MAGA base. Preparations for Trump’s Third-Term Agenda are real. Those who view them differently may need to reconsider their perspective.
On January 20, 2025, his first day in office, Trump, granted blanket clemency to 1,600 individuals convicted, some of whom were awaiting trial, or facing sentencing for committing act of insurrection against the government. Most of the individuals received full and unconditional pardon. Trump further commuted sentences for leaders and members of extremist groups—specifically the Proud Boys and the Oath Keepers.
Now, adding insult to injury, the Trump administration established a $1.776 billion federal fund to compensate the January 6 rioters. Trump has turned American villains into heroes. But why should Americans, victims of the January 6 Insurrection, pay those who committed crimes against them?
These events are unprecedented in our history. A sitting president coercing his Department of Justice to settle those insurrectionists who once supported him in his illegal bid to remain in office.
Is President Trump urging them stand by for future actions?
All Americans must take the possibility of Trump’s “third-term agenda” seriously. Congressional Republicans who fear losing their seats cannot stop him. Stopping Trump’s unlawful maneuver would require massive public pushback.
As I warned before the 2024 elections, the health of our democracy outweighs all other pursuits. Trump voters ignored all warning signs for the mundane. Now, they have another chance!
To end corruption in the Trump administration and reset our democracy, voters must first replace those ardent Republicans in Congress before holding Trump accountable.
Therefore, in the upcoming midterms, voters must choose between saving our democracy and letting it die.
The choice is theirs.
Nicholas A. Owoyemi, CFA
Moderate Voices of America (MVA)
30 Wall Street, 8th Floor
New York, New York 10005
212 406-1958
www.moderatevoices.org