Trump made a joke to Zelenskyy about not having any more elections due to the ongoing war, hinting at his desire to evade term limits again.

During his second round of meetings with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and other European leaders, President Donald Trump couldn't resist making another quip about potentially extending his time in office. As Zelenskyy discussed his country's practice of pausing elections during times of war, Trump couldn't help but comment, "So you're saying during the war you can't have elections... So, let me just say, three and a half years from now... if we happen to be in a war with somebody, no more elections. Oh, that's good." The remark was met with a mix of laughter and concern from those in the room.

While Trump later claimed to be joking during an interview with Time Magazine, his words didn't seem to be taken lightly by everyone. According to People, he mentioned "there are some loopholes that have been discussed" when questioned about the possibility of a third term. Although he didn't elaborate on the methods he would use to extend his presidency, there are a few options available to him. One would be to amend the Constitution through a two-thirds vote in Congress or by two-thirds of U.S. states, which would then mandate a constitutional convention to propose these changes. However, this approach seems unlikely as several state leaders have expressed their disapproval of Trump's leadership for a second term, let alone a third. Another possibility would be for Trump to push Vice President JD Vance as the winner of the 2028 election for a Vance-Trump ticket, and then suddenly resign.

On social media, some users expressed concern over Trump's "jokes," with one calling them "terrifying." Another user warned, "Trump laughs about canceling elections like Zelensky, planting the seed for his power grab - first the joke, then the coup. We've seen this movie before." Some even speculated that Trump's recent actions, such as decorating the White House like a penthouse and deploying military in Democratic cities, may be a precursor for voter intimidation in future elections.

Trump's "jokes" about extending his presidency come shortly after he hinted at wanting to eliminate mail-in voting processes, claiming it leads to fraud and dishonesty. On his Truth Social platform, he continued to express his opposition to mail-in voting, blaming it for his loss to former President Joe Biden. He also called for the elimination of voting machines, claiming they are inaccurate and expensive.

In the midst of all this, political commentator Marc Lamont Hill recalls a stage attack during the 2024 election while also advocating for restorative justice principles. It seems that the topic of elections and democracy will continue to be a hot-button issue in the years to come.

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