During a meeting with House Republicans on Wednesday, President-elect Donald Trump jokingly suggested that he might need their help to bypass the Constitution and run for a third term. 

Mr Trump, president from 2017 to 2021, is set to return to office in January following his successful bid in the 2024 election.

The light-hearted comment came as Mr Trump discussed his political future, teasing that he would not run again unless Republicans were so impressed with his leadership that they’d “figure something else out.”

According to the New York Times, not everyone took the comment lightly, as Representative Dan Goldman of New York quickly moved to put any speculation to rest. 

He announced plans to introduce a resolution that would explicitly reaffirm the two-term limit for presidents, stating that the 22nd Amendment applies to “two terms in the aggregate.” 

This move aims to close any potential loopholes and make clear that Mr Trump’s previous term, alongside his upcoming presidency, would count as his two allowed terms under the Constitution.

Mr Goldman’s resolution comes as a response to the growing chatter about Mr Trump’s political ambitions, with some suggesting that the 2024 election could open doors for future possibilities beyond a second term. 

Yet, according to Mr Goldman’s proposal, any talk of a third term would be firmly shut down, ensuring that the constitutional limits remain intact.

Mr Trump a few months ago had vowed not to go for a third term. “I don’t really have a choice. I’m going to serve one term, I’m gonna do a great job. We’re gonna have a very successful country again … And then I’m gonna leave,” he told Time.

As Mr Trump prepares to return to office, the light-hearted remark about a third term is reminiscent of the ever-present political drama surrounding his leadership, even before he officially begins his next chapter in the White House.