Is Trump running for a third term, or just stirring the pot

U.S. President Donald Trump, who has a knack for ruffling feathers, stirred up a hornet’s nest this weekend after suggesting he could run for a third term.

In a phone call with NBC News on Sunday, Trump said, “a lot of people want me to do it,” although he added that it is very early to think about.  When asked to clarify his comments about a possible third term, Trump said, “I’m not joking.”

The President was then asked about one possible scenario where Vice President JD Vance runs and is elected with Trump as his running mate, and then Vance steps aside.  The president said that’s one method, but there are others, too, although he would not elaborate.

Later, when asked about his third term comments aboard Air Force One, Trump said, “I don’t want to talk about a third term now, because no matter how you look at it, you got a long time to go.”

The U.S. Constitution specifies a two-term limit for presidents, and an amendment would require a two-thirds vote in Congress, which is seen as extremely difficult.

Republicans are telling reporters the president is not being serious about the third term.

“I think that you guys keep asking the question and … I think he is having some fun with it, probably messing with you,” Senate Majority Leader John Thune told reporters.

Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt downplayed the comments.

“Look, 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,” Leavitt commented to reporters on Monday. “The president talked about this last night on the plane. He said it’s not really something worth thinking about. He has four years. There’s a lot of work to do. We’ve done a lot in these nearly first 100 days, and the American people love what this president is doing, particularly when it comes to efforts to secure the border.”