The MSM like to speculate about Trump’s plans to run for a third term. Trump encourages the chatter because it strengthens his hold on the GOP. Should we take it seriously?
Given Trump’s persistent unpopularity and the clear language in the Constitution, there is no way he could possibly win a third term in a free and fair election. At some level, he has to know that. Any attempt for a third term, therefore, would have to be accompanied by successful efforts to use the judiciary and the military to rig the election. In other words, there will be no “race” for a third term; there can only be a ratification of a coup d’etat.
It would be a serious mistake to completely dismiss the coup scenario, but the more likely outcome in light of Trump’s age is J.D. promising to govern as a ventriloquist’s dummy. That option would more or less unite the GOP, avoid the constitutional question, and spare Trump the possibility of a very personal defeat, which is an intolerable existential threat to his fragile psyche.