Dershowitz, who represented Trump, among others. during his impeachment trial in the Senate, he said in an interview for “WSJ” that had a discussion with Donald Trump about his upcoming book titled “Could President Trump Constitutionally Serve a Third Term?”.
The lawyer said the answer to this question was not clear.
The rest of the article below the video:
— I said, 'It's not clear whether the president can become president for a third term, and it's not clear whether it's permissible,'” Dershowitz reported. He added that Trump considered it an “interesting intellectual problem.”
— Do I think he will run for a third term? No, I don't think he will run for a third term, he added.
Read also: Will Donald Trump run for a third term? Surprising news
The 22nd Amendment to the US Constitution says that “no person shall be elected president more than twice.” Still, in his book, due out next year, the lawyer creates hypothetical scenarios that he believes could allow for a third term. One scenario is one in which electors abstain from voting during the Electoral College vote that formally elects the president. The choice is then decided by Congress, which could choose Trump, because, according to Dershowitz, it would be “a selection, not an election.”
The president himself repeatedly suggested at the beginning of his term that there were scenarios in which he could serve a third term and emphasized that many people encouraged him to run again. Ultimately, however, he decided that the constitution clearly did not allow it. His key adviser Susie Wiles made a similar assessment in an unexpectedly honest interview for Vanity Fair, saying that Trump “knows he can't run again.”
Read also: Donald Trump for a third term? Experts assess the chances of the US president
Still, as “WSJ” points out, ideas Dershowitz was liked by some Trump supporters, including billionaire Miriam Adelson, one of the main sponsors of Republican election campaigns. During a recent Hanukkah reception at the White House, guests began chanting “four more years.” Adelson then turned to Trump, telling him to “think about it.”
— She said, “think about it and I'll give you another 250 million” Trump replied.
