Trump is a lame duck president in his final term. Because these politicians will never be on the ballot for the same office again, their political clout usually wanes quickly. The third-term flirtation is a way to try to convince people that Trump will be around in the future.

The president’s suggestion that he would seek to stay in office beyond the constitutional limit comes as he has pushed to expand executive authority.

To be clear, Trump can’t run for president in 2028. But there are, in theory, some roundabout ways he could go on to serve a third term.

The discussion around President Trump and a third term continues to circulate. While his adversaries may not like it, he’s not the first to spark the conversation.