Overview
- Alan Dershowitz says he met President Trump in the Oval Office and discussed a draft manuscript exploring whether a non‑electoral path could allow service beyond two terms.
- The forthcoming book contends the Constitution’s two‑election limit may leave ambiguity for scenarios such as Electoral College abstentions leading to a congressional decision, which the National Constitution Center notes has never occurred.
- Trump treated the discussion as an intellectual exercise and has publicly said the Constitution is "pretty clear" he cannot run again.
- White House messaging has been mixed, with Chief of Staff Susie Wiles echoing that Trump cannot run again as spokeswoman Abigail Jackson said the country would be "lucky" to have him serve longer.
- Election law experts criticized the ideas as unrealistic, citing Twelfth Amendment limits on congressional choice and highlighting that abstentions have not triggered a House decision, while one scholar described a far‑fetched succession route and noted no formal effort is underway.