'You think he's joking?' CA gov hits raw nerve with latest Trump warning

28 August

California Governor Gavin Newsom speaks after he and other lawmakers signed the "Election Rigging Response Act" in Sacramento, California, U.S. August 21, 2025. REUTERS/Fred Greaves

Not since Franklin Delano Roosevelt has a U.S. president served more than two terms in the White House. FDR was serving his fourth term when he died in office in 1945. But in 1947, during Harry Truman's presidency, Congress passed the U.S. Constitution's 22nd Amendment, which was fully ratified by the states in 1951.

The 22nd Amendment makes President Donald Trump a lame duck, forbidding him to seek a third term in 2028. But California Gov. Gavin Newsom is warning that Trump will try to dodge the Constitution and run for a third term.

During a live summit hosted by Politico in Sacramento, California in late August, Newsom warned, "I don't think Donald Trump wants another election. This guy doesn't believe in free, fair elections."

Newsom told attendees, "You think he's joking about 2028?.... Who spends $200m on a ballroom at their home and then leaves the house? The rule of law is being replaced by the rule of Don."

Newsom's warning is generating a lot of discussion on X, formerly Twitter.

Podcaster Brian Allen tweeted, "If you think 'Trump 2028' is a joke, think again. Gavin Newsom just confirmed he personally received the merch, mailed by a top Trump ally, warning him to get ready. That's not trolling. That's a signal. They're laying the groundwork for a third term. We better act like it."

X user Russ Hjelm posted, "I'm not sure we'll get elections in 2026 let alone 2028."

Sonja Wolf, a professor at Panamanian University in Mexico City (Universidad Panamericana Ciudad de México), wrote, "Donald #Trump is serious about running for a third term in violation of the US constitution, California governor Gavin Newsom said, warning Americans to wake up to what he described as the president's flagrant disregard for democratic norms."

Left Alliance's Ian Brown tweeted, "Gavin Newsom warns Trump is serious about probing a third term. The Constitution says two. Authoritarians test lines, then erase them."

Science writer Heather McSharry commented, "That's wishful thinking. His talk of running a 3rd time, (which his magats don't mind despite their beloved Constitution), is lube for when he says he's not leaving."

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