Donald Trump might be plotting his most audacious move yet: a third presidential term. Yes, the Constitution bans it, but according to author Michael Wolff, Trump is gearing up to test those limits and the patience of democracy itself. On The Daily Beast’s Inside Trump’s Head podcast, Wolff politically analyzes this dystopia. He said Trump’s post-inauguration actions look like “the moves of an authoritarian,” as he targets opponents, consolidates control over courts and media, and marginalizes blue states.
Wolff warns that Trump’s power might help him outlast his term with the help of:
“Mechanisms which might ensure continued electoral success.”
Wolff once brushed off the idea of Trump running again after 2028, but now believes it’s “a very real possibility” because Trump might literally need to stay in power to protect himself. “The problem with (…) an authoritarian,” Wolff explained, is that “in order to avoid retribution, he has to stay in power.” This warning got a dose of realism thanks to Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett. Speaking to The New York Times, Barrett acknowledged that the Court has no means to enforce its rulings if a president ignores them.
She said:
“The Court lacks the power of the purse (…) We lack the power of the sword.”
Donald Trump Posts an AI video of him throwing a Trump 2028 hat on Hakeem Jeffries pic.twitter.com/qk7XUpzGaJ
— OSZ (@OpenSourceZone) October 3, 2025
So if Donald Trump wanted to defy the Constitution and run again, the court might not be able to stop him. The Court has already been accused of leaning Trump’s way in several rulings, and now it is questioned about what it could (or couldn’t) do if Donald Trump decided the 22nd Amendment doesn’t apply to him. Barrett’s “originalist” philosophy interprets the Constitution through the lens of its 18th-century meaning and leaves room for hypotheticals like if a president decides he’s above judicial control.
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On the other hand, Wolff’s point is less about whether Trump can run again and more about why he must. Steve Bannon (Trump’s former strategist) reportedly worries that Trump could be imprisoned if Democrats win in 2028. According to Wolff, fear of “the (…) consequences of the Democrats taking power” drives everything. In short, staying in power is Donald Trump’s survival strategy.
The Supreme Court weighs cases that could tilt the elections in the GOP’s favor, including challenges to the Voting Rights Act that could allow red states to redraw districts and box Democrats out. If that happens, Wolff says the dominoes could fall faster than we expect. And to hammer the point, the White House sent a photo of Trump beside lawmakers, with “Trump 2028” hats on the Resolute Desk.
Till now, Donald Trump has half-joked about serving “three or four times,” selling merch, and teasing Fox News hosts about the two-term limit. Now, with a friendly Court and a loyal Congress, the joke may be turning into a blueprint. Trump could even run as someone else’s vice president and then take over when that president resigns. It’s technically possible, so he dares the system to stop him.
