Trump ‘Not 100% Sure’ He’s Barred from Third Term 

US President Donald Trump arrives on the South Lawn of the White House, Washington, DC, USA, 27 January 2025. (EPA)
US President Donald Trump arrives on the South Lawn of the White House, Washington, DC, USA, 27 January 2025. (EPA)
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Trump ‘Not 100% Sure’ He’s Barred from Third Term 

US President Donald Trump arrives on the South Lawn of the White House, Washington, DC, USA, 27 January 2025. (EPA)
US President Donald Trump arrives on the South Lawn of the White House, Washington, DC, USA, 27 January 2025. (EPA)

US President Donald Trump once again hinted at the idea of serving a third term, saying he was "not 100 percent sure" he was barred from doing so under the Constitution, which forbids it.

Trump has repeatedly alluded to the possibility that he might go beyond the current two-term limit for US presidents -- but while he often strikes a light-hearted tone the remarks remain provocative.

"I've raised a lot of money for the next race that I assume I can't use for myself, but I'm not 100 percent sure, because I don't know... I think I'm not allowed to run again," Trump told an audience of Congressional Republicans in Miami.

To laughter, Trump turned to Republican House Leader Mike Johnson and added: "I'm not sure, am I allowed to run again? Mike? I better not get you involved in that argument."

Trump was inaugurated for his second spell in the White House a week ago, becoming just the second president in US history to serve two non-consecutive terms.

US presidents are limited to two terms in office by the 22nd Amendment to the Constitution, which was ratified in 1951 -- partly as a response to Franklin D. Roosevelt's unprecedented four terms as president from 1933-1945.

A Republican in the US House introduced a super-long-shot resolution last week to change the constitution to allow Trump to get another term.

Trump has alluded to extending his stay on a number of occasions and joked about it as recently Saturday, during a rally in Nevada.

"It will be the greatest honor my life to serve not once, but twice -- or three times or four times," he said with a laugh, before adding to cheers from the audience: "Headlines for the fake news."

In November, in another speech to House Republicans shortly after his election win, Trump said: "I suspect I won't be running again unless you say, 'He's good, we got to figure something else.'"

Trump told an audience of conservative Christians in July: "Christians, get out and vote. Just this time... Four more years, it'll be fixed, it'll be fine, you won't have to vote anymore."



Canadian Prime Minister Carney Calls Trump's Auto Tariffs a 'Direct Attack' on His Country

Unifor auto workers stand behind Liberal Leader Mark Carney as he speaks during a campaign stop at the Ambassador Bridge in Windsor, Ont., on Wednesday, March 26, 2025. (Frank Gunn /The Canadian Press via AP)
Unifor auto workers stand behind Liberal Leader Mark Carney as he speaks during a campaign stop at the Ambassador Bridge in Windsor, Ont., on Wednesday, March 26, 2025. (Frank Gunn /The Canadian Press via AP)
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Canadian Prime Minister Carney Calls Trump's Auto Tariffs a 'Direct Attack' on His Country

Unifor auto workers stand behind Liberal Leader Mark Carney as he speaks during a campaign stop at the Ambassador Bridge in Windsor, Ont., on Wednesday, March 26, 2025. (Frank Gunn /The Canadian Press via AP)
Unifor auto workers stand behind Liberal Leader Mark Carney as he speaks during a campaign stop at the Ambassador Bridge in Windsor, Ont., on Wednesday, March 26, 2025. (Frank Gunn /The Canadian Press via AP)

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said Wednesday that US President Donald Trump's auto tariffs are a "direct attack" on his country and that the trade war is hurting Americans, noting that American consumer confidence is at a multi-year low.

Trump said earlier Wednesday that he was placing 25% tariffs on auto imports and, to underscore his intention, he stated, "This is permanent."

"This is a very direct attack," Carney responded. "We will defend our workers. We will defend our companies. We will defend our country."

Carney said he needs to see the details of Trump's executive order before taking retaliatory measures. He called it unjustified and said he will leave the election campaign to go to Ottawa on Thursday to chair his special Cabinet committee on US relations.

Carney earlier announced a CA$2 billion ($1.4 billion) "strategic response fund" that will protect Canadian auto jobs affected by Trump´s tariffs.

Autos are Canada´s second-largest export. Carney noted the sector employs 125,000 Canadians directly and almost another 500,000 in related industries.

"Canada will be there for auto workers," he said.

Trump previously granted a one-month exemption on his stiff new tariffs on imports from Mexico and Canada for US automakers.

The president has plunged the US into a global trade war - all while on-again, off-again new levies continue to escalate uncertainty.

The Conference Board reported Tuesday that its US consumer confidence index fell 7.2 points in March to 92.9, the fourth straight monthly decline and its lowest reading since January of 2021.

"His trade war is hurting American consumers and workers and it will hurt more. I see that American consumer confidence is at a multi-year low," Carney said earlier while campaigning in Windsor, Ontario ahead of Canada´s April 28 election.

The tax hike on auto imports starting in April means automakers could face higher costs and lower sales.

Trump previously placed 25% tariffs on Canada´s steel and aluminum and is threatening sweeping tariffs on all Canadian products - as well as on all of America´s trading partners - on April 2.

"He wants to break us so America can own us," Carney said. "And it will never ever happen because we just don´t look out for ourselves, we look out for each other."

Carney, a former two-time central banker in Canada and the UK, made the earlier comments while campaigning against the backdrop of the Ambassador Bridge, which is considered the busiest US-Canadian border crossing, carrying 25% of all trade between the two countries. It plays an especially important role in auto manufacturing.

Carney said the bridge carries $140 billion Canadian dollars ($98 billion) in goods every year and CA$400 million ($281 million) per day.

"Now those numbers and the jobs and the paychecks that depend on that are in question," Carney said. "The relationship between Canada and the United States has changed. We did not change it."

In the auto sector, parts can go back and forth across the Canada-US border several times before being fully assembled in Ontario or Michigan.

Ontario Premier Doug Ford, whose province has the bulk of Canada´s auto industry, said auto plants on both sides the border will shut simultaneously if the tariffs go ahead.

"President is calling it Liberation Day. I call it Termination Day for American workers. I know President Trump likes tell people ´Your fired!" I didn´t think he meant US auto workers when he said it," Ford said.

Trump has declared a trade war on his northern neighbor and continues to call for Canada to become the 51st state, a position that has infuriated Canadians.

Canadians booed Trump repeatedly at a Carney election rally in Kitchener, Ontario.

The new prime minister, sworn in March 14, still hasn´t had a phone call with Trump. It is unusual for a US president and Canadian prime minister to go so long without talking after a new leader takes office.

"It would be appropriate that the president and I speak given the action that he has taken. I´m sure that will happen soon," Carney said.

Opposition Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre said the tariffs will damage American auto workers just as they will damage Canadian auto workers.

"The message to President Trump should be to knock it off," Poilievre said. "He's changed his mind before. He's done this twice, puts them on, takes them off. We can suspect that may well happen again."