President Donald Trump quipped Tuesday that he’d been offered $250 million to run for a third term, during a light exchange with major Republican donor Miriam Adelson at the White House’s annual Hanukkah candle-lighting ceremony.
Trump invited Adelson to speak to attendees, referencing her past support for his campaigns. In her remarks, Adelson said she had discussed the legality of a Trump third term with attorney Alan Dershowitz, prompting chants of “four more years” from the crowd.
After the two embraced, Trump returned to the microphone and joked: “She said, ‘Think about it, I’ll give you another $250 million,’” drawing laughter. Adelson replied, “I will give.”
The White House pointed to the president’s prior public comments on the subject. Adelson could not immediately be reached through the Adelson Clinic.
Why It Matters
Even if the moment was playful, it has revived debate over whether Trump could—or would—seek another term despite constitutional limits. The 22nd Amendment, added in 1951, states that “no person shall be elected to the office of the President more than twice.”
The 12th Amendment also provides that “no person constitutionally ineligible to the office of president shall be eligible to that of vice president of the United States,” language often cited in discussions about attempts to return to office through the vice presidency.
Addressing speculation in October, Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One that the Constitution is “pretty clear,” adding: “I’m not allowed to run. It’s too bad…but we have a lot of great people.” He also rejected the idea of pursuing a third term by running for vice president first.
Former Trump strategist Steve Bannon has repeatedly argued there is a plan for Trump to remain in office beyond the 2028 election. But polling by The Economist/YouGov from November 28 to December 1 found a divided view among Trump voters: 45 percent said they do not want him to serve again, while 43 percent said they do; 11 percent were unsure.
What To Know
During the Hanukkah reception, Trump told attendees that Adelson—a longtime Republican donor and the widow of Sheldon Adelson—had given his campaign “indirectly and directly” $250 million.
On the prospect of a third term, Adelson said in her speech: “I met Alan Dershowitz and he said the legal thing about four more years and I said ‘Alan, I agree with you’ so we can do it, think about it.”
Since Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign, the Adelsons have been prominent supporters of Trump and Republican causes.
Federal Election Commission records show Adelson gave $100 million to the pro-Trump Preserve America super PAC during the 2024 presidential campaign. Those filings also list contributions including $3,300 to Republican Sen. Bernie Moreno’s campaign and $5 million to the Senate Leadership Fund ahead of the 2024 midterms. FEC records also show she donated more than $400,000 to the Republican National Committee earlier this year.
What People Are Saying
Steve Bannon, in an October interview with The Economist: “He’s going to get a third term…So Trump is going to be president in 2028, and people just ought to get accommodated with that.”
Costas Panagopoulos, a political science professor at Northeastern University, previously said: “The truth is there is some technical ambiguity in the constitutional statutes, and potentially some ways to circumvent the restriction, but the intention, especially when the 22nd and 12th amendments are taken together, is clearer: presidential terms should be limited to two. Even if Trump can find some path to allow him to seek a third term, it will be controversial, and it is unclear that his supporters and the GOP will go for it. And there’s a long way to go between now and then, especially given Trump will be in his 80s. By then, few may want him to serve another term.”
What Happens Next
No additional steps or policy moves were announced following the exchange, and the White House has continued to point to Trump’s past remarks acknowledging the constitutional limit.
