The office of President of the United States is one of the few that has clearly set limits on the number of years an individual can hold the office.
After the presidency of Democrat Franklin Delano Roosevelt, who served as the 32nd President for over 12 years from 1933 until his death in 1945, Congress moved to add a constitutional amendment to limit a single person's time in the role.
FDR had been elected a record number four times—in 1932, 1936, 1940, and 1944—but died shortly after the beginning of his fourth term. There was a tradition established by George Washington not to serve more than two terms, but no formal limit had been established.
Ratified in 1951, the 22nd Amendment to the United States Constitution states:
"No person shall be elected to the office of the President more than twice, and no person who has held the office of President, or acted as President, for more than two years of a term to which some other person was elected President shall be elected to the office of the President more than once."
But during an Oval Office presser with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Trump joked about a possible path to a third term for himself, providing he lives to be 82 years old.
The two leaders met to speak about ending the war that began when Russia invaded Ukraine. Trump has claimed repeatedly that he could immediately end the conflict, but—as with most of his boasts—has failed to produce any results.
Trump noted Zelenskyy has served as President of Ukraine since 2019, then commented that no elections had occurred since then—as if Trump is unaware that the use of the title "president" doesn't mean a country's structure of government mirrors the United States.
With complete disregard for the United States Constitution, Trump quipped:
"During the war, you can't have elections?"
"So let me just see, three and a half years from now, if we happen to be in a war with somebody, no more elections?"
"That's good."
You can watch the moment here:
People weren't laughing or buying that Trump was joking.
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Trump's ignorance of U.S. history was also on full display with his quip.
At least 14 U.S. presidential elections have occurred during times the U.S. was engaged in an officially-declared war—even more if conflicts that became viewed as wars are also counted.
His ignorance of foreign affairs was equally evident.
According to Trump's own State Department, Ukraine is a "republic with a presidential-parliamentary system of government. The constitution provides for a directly elected president, a prime minister who is appointed by the president and confirmed by parliament, and a unicameral parliament."
By their constitution, elections cannot be held in Ukraine while the country is under martial law, such as during an ongoing war.
The U.S. Constitution doesn't allow cancelation or postponement of presidential elections due to war, conflict, or just because the person in office doesn't want to leave.
