Mullin says Trump 'joked' about running a third time

Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.) said Sunday that President Trump was joking when he floated running for a third term, adding he could not seek to change the Constitution without the consent of voters.

“First of all, he joked. And so I think we need to take that as a joke, not being literal,” Mullin said when asked on NBC’s “Meet the Press" whether he would support changing the Constitution to allow Trump to seek a third term.

Anchor Kristen Welker noted that some of Trump’s allies “say they are deadly serious” about a third term and asked Mullin whether he would support that.

“No. I'm not changing the Constitution, first of all, unless the American people chose to do that,” Mullin said.

“I will say, just as what you said in the beginning, it was a joke, and people need to take it as a joke,” Mullin continued. “The president is a very interesting guy that you can find extreme humor when you sit down to visit with him. At the same time, he can be deadly serious. That's why I call him my friend.”

The president has on multiple occasions floated the idea of running for a third term since he won his second in November, including twice during meetings with House Republicans.

Trump on Thursday again raised the idea of his seeking a third term, which is prohibited by the Constitution, this time drawing loud approval from supporters at a Black History Month event.

“Should I run again? You tell me,” Trump asked the crowd assembled in the East Room of the White House.

“There’s your controversy right there,” he said as supporters cheered.

Trump laughed as attendees began chanting “four more years,” and he quipped that the clip would be shown on evening newscasts.

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) said Sunday that Trump is trying to “disorient” by talking about a third term and being a king, a reference to language Trump used when discussing his push to halt New York's congestion pricing policy.

During an appearance on CNN's "State of the Union," Jeffries said Trump “is intentionally unleashing extremism and outrageous things on the American people to try to disorient everyday Americans.”

“Donald Trump is not a king. We will never bend the knee. Not now, not ever. And we’ll continue to point out that he’s focused on the wrong things,” he added.

Topics

Jeffries says Trump trying to 'disorient' with talk of third term, being king

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) on Sunday said President Trump is trying to “disorient” by talking about a third term and being a king. “Donald Trump made repeated comments this week ...
The Hill - 6h
GOP senator says he wouldn’t change Constitution for third Trump term unless Americans ‘chose to’

Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.) tells Kristen Welker he believes that calls from Trump allies to extend President Trump’s time in office are “a joke.”
NBC News - 6h
Madonna criticizes Trump's 'king' quip: 'If this is a joke, I'm not laughing'

Singer Madonna criticized President Trump on Friday for a recent post online in which he appeared to call himself a "king." "I thought this country was built by Europeans, escaping living under the ...
The Hill - 2d
Trump again floats unconstitutional third term

The 22nd Amendment limits U.S. presidents to two terms in office, but that hasn't stopped President Trump and his supporters from raising the idea of a third term. Josh Chafetz, professor of law ...
CBS News - 1d
Sen. Markwayne Mullin says he doesn't believe Russia plans to invade NATO allies

Sen. Markwayne Mullin cast doubt on suggestions from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy that Russian President Vladimir Putin could invade NATO allies
NBC News - 2h
‘Time is running out’: Lawmakers scramble for a deal to stop a shutdown

Short of a major breakthrough in the coming days, Congress is staring down the barrel of yet another crisis over government funding.
Politico - 2d
Time is running out for England's and Scotland’s Lions hopefuls to state their case | Ugo Monye

All the way across the field there are mouthwatering head-to-heads with players pushing for the tour to Australia. For British & Irish Lions hopefuls, time is running out. Three Test matches left ...
The Guardian - 1d
Trump 'thinking about' absorbing Postal Service into administration

President Trump said Friday he was considering merging the U.S. Postal Service into his administration, calling the agency a “tremendous loser” of money. “We want to have a post office that works ...
The Hill - 2d
What Patriots' latest roster move says about team's power structure

The Patriots' release of Sione Takitaki offers a clue as to who's really in charge of personnel decisions in New England, says Phil Perry.
Yahoo Sports - 3d