'Fringy': Ex-prosecutor skeptical of Trump team's 'extreme' long-term plan
One of President Donald Trump's favorite applause lines is teasing a third term as president. Over the weekend, he trotted out the line again, promising he's "not joking."
But a CNN legal expert poured cold water on the idea to viewers Monday.
The idea has raised questions of whether the U.S. could descend into fascism and concerns over whether Trump is willing to break the Constitution.
Speaking to CNN about it on Monday, legal analyst Elie Honig pointed to specific words in the Constitution and what Trump has said.
"Lawyers love wiggle room and escape hatches," quipped Honig. "And here they're looking at the word 'elected.' So, here's the argument: it's fringy, but the 22nd Amendment says nobody [shall] be elected president more than twice. Well, the theory is, well, then maybe what Donald Trump or any two-term president can do is run as vice president with, let's say, J.D. Vance at the top of the ticket. If they win, JD Vance resigns. Donald Trump becomes president."
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The idea is that Trump wouldn't have been "elected" as president, but would take over after the election of Vance.
"So, now the biggest problem with this, of course, though, is earlier in the Constitution, the 12th Amendment tells us that any person who is ineligible to be president is also ineligible to be vice president," said Honig. "So, you would think that ends the question. That seems pretty straightforward."
He cited "a very fringy, extreme school of thought that the 12th Amendment doesn't quite close the door on this, but I think those advocates are trying to thread a needle that is not threadable."
See Honig in the video below or at the link here.
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