Leavitt Pushes Back on Media Over Trump Third Term Questions: 'You Guys Keep Asking, Then Melt Down'

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt dismissed reporters' repeated inquiries about whether President Donald Trump might pursue a third term, arguing that they were making it into a bigger issue than necessary.

"You guys continue to ask the president this question about a third term, and then he answers honestly and candidly with a smile, and then everybody here melts down about his answer," she remarked.

Leavitt also pointed out that such speculation is premature since it is still four years away, making it an unnecessary focus at this point.

During a Sunday morning phone call with NBC News, Trump addressed the possibility of a third term, a discussion reminiscent of the speculation surrounding Ronald Reagan as he neared the end of his presidency in 1988.

"A lot of people want me to do it," Trump stated. "But, I mean, I basically tell them we have a long way to go, you know, it’s very early in the administration."

The president emphasized his immediate priorities, saying, "I’m focused on the current."

When asked again whether he would seek a third term, the 78-year-old responded, "I like working."

"I’m not joking," he clarified when pressed further. "But I’m not — it is far too early to think about it."

NBC raised the legal barriers to a third term, referencing the 22nd Amendment, which explicitly states, "No person shall be elected to the office of the President more than twice, and no person who has held the office of President, or acted as President, for more than two years of a term to which some other person was elected President shall be elected to the office of the President more than once."

Ratified in 1951, the 22nd Amendment was enacted just over six years after President Franklin Roosevelt won a fourth consecutive term in 1944. Before Roosevelt, presidents had traditionally followed George Washington’s precedent of serving only two terms.

Commenting on the constitutional restrictions, Trump told NBC News, "There are methods which you could do it."

One scenario mentioned by the outlet suggested Vice President J.D. Vance could run as the presidential candidate with Trump as his running mate. In that case, Vance could step aside, allowing Trump to take over as president once again.

"That’s one" possible method, Trump acknowledged. However, when asked about other options, he declined to elaborate.

Another potential route would involve amending the Constitution to repeal or alter the 22nd Amendment. Earlier this year, Republican Rep. Andy Ogles of Tennessee introduced a resolution seeking to modify the amendment, allowing Trump to seek a third term. However, such a change would face significant hurdles, requiring approval from two-thirds of Congress or two-thirds of state legislatures to propose an amendment, followed by ratification from three-quarters of the states.

The topic arose again while Trump was aboard Air Force One returning to Washington on Sunday night.

"Does that mean you’re not planning to leave office on Jan. 20, [2029]?" a reporter asked.

"I’m not looking at that, but I tell you, I have had more people ask me to have a third term, which in a way is a fourth term, because the other election, the 2020 election, was totally rigged," Trump replied.

Another journalist followed up, saying, "The Constitution limits a president to two terms. Is it your understanding that they have to be?"

"I don’t even want to talk about it. I’m just telling you I have had more people say, ‘Please run again.’ I said, ‘We have a long way to go before we even think about that,’" Trump responded.

A final question from the press asked, "Do you think that’s an appropriate precedent to set, even if it wasn’t you in this position, to see a president serve a third term?"

"I don’t want to talk about a third term now, because no matter how you look at it, we’ve got a long time to go… You know, we have almost four years to go. And that’s a long time," the president said.