So media evidently believes Trump 'is joking' about 2020 election?

[triron]

Link to tweet

[Clarity2]

1. Its a trial balloon

and not the first time. Without any pushback, hes normalizing the thought.
What Im concerned about is “if” republicans gain control of house, retain the senate, and trump is re-elected, can they make a constitutional amendment to remove term limits on a potus?? That keeps me up at night. Because they would do anything to stay in power.

[Blue_true]

2. If they gained complete control again.

They MAY be able to pass an Amendment to the Constitution, but they would have to somehow get rid of the requirement that 3/4th of the states have to ratify it.

[rampartc]

7. not a problem. they are very close to that in state legislatures now.

if they have a good 2020 at the state levels they will call a constitutional convention.

we really must win big in the states in 2020 to avoid another decade of gerrymanders.

[Blue_true]

9. So they will get 38 states plus DC to go along?

That is what they need.

[rampartc]

12. they think they will, and are actively working on it

https://conventionofstates.com/

[elleng]

4. 4 ways to amend the constitution:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/there-are-four-not-two-ways-to-amend-the-constitution/2016/08/18/058afcf2-6420-11e6-b4d8-33e931b5a26d_story.html

[Clarity2]

8. Ah thanks

I thought there were only two ways. So it seems that a constitutional convention has a bigger chance, since someone said they are getting close. Not a snowballs chance republicans will ever get a 2/3 or 3/4 majority in the House after the election. Not from a legitimate election anyway.

[ProudMNDemocrat]

3. This would not get repaled by 3/4 of the states.

Any move to repeal the 22nd Amendment will not be approved by 2/3 of both houses of Congress either.

Trump is saying g that to rile his base.

[Blue_true]

10. And apparently he roles up some progressives (who should know better).

Bu I guess when people vote for Jill Stein or write in Bernie Sanders for President in an absolutely critical election, any thing can happen.

[UniteFightBack]

13. That and he likes to get everybody else worked up too. He chumming the water for his (de)base

and trolling the left...all at the same time. Fuck him, we see right through it.

[Thomas Hurt]

5. It isn't a joke that fascist pig thinks he is another Putin or Un.

It is the next step in feeding his pathology. He wants the populace in the streets celebrating his birthday.

What's next? Huge images of himself painted on the sides of buildings ala totalitarian gov't?

He is trying to make moves to control the media. Riling up is brown shirts (the ill educated base)

[uponit7771]

6. He already called off the 2020 election by saying he's going to cheat

[TwilightZone]

11. It is a joke.

And should be treated as such. It's not worth wasting time fretting about.

[uponit7771]

14. Like his concentration camps and kidnapping children? Why are people still giving the Trump admin

... the benefit of the doubt !?!?

[VOX]

15. Most everyone thought the idea of Trump actually becoming president was a huge joke.

Really— DONALD TRUMP as president of the United States? That’s a completely insane idea. Never gonna happen. Even Republicans wouldn’t stand for it.
-He’ll get his ass kicked in the primaries.
-The “Access Hollywood” video will destroy him.
-His insulting a Gold Star family and Senator McCain will cause an erosion of support.
-He’ll be buried by a Democratic landslide in 2016.
-He’ll be thrown out of office by 2017.
-The Stormy Daniels scandal will ruin him.
-Wait until the Russia collusion ALL comes out!
-Wait until the money-laundering documentation comes out!
-Robert Muller will torpedo him.

Clearly, American politics— and specifically the Republican Party— aren’t what they once were. Nothing should be considered off the table. They’d be ecstatic if any Trump— Donald, Junior, or, crazy as it sounds right now, Ivanka— could be a figurehead for American far-right nationalism.

From The Daily Beast, 11/24/18, on this unlikely but possible scenario—
What If Trump Actually Tries to Serve Three Terms?
by Matt Lewis
<snip>
The rise of Donald Trump—a president whose authoritarian tendencies are on full display—makes what might otherwise seem like a paranoid concern a little more plausible.
<snip>
[Regarding Trump’s repeated joking about a third term] This was shtick, but humor can be a safe way to launch a trial balloon—or to inject an idea into the public sphere. The fact that Trump’s audience laughed and applauded his comments is less than desirable.

One potential worry could be that a president could use some sort of national emergency—say a widespread terrorist attack—as a pretext for postponing elections. I’m not suggesting some sort of false-flag operation, but instead that a legitimate national emergency provides an opening. (This wouldn’t be entirely unprecedented. After the 9/11 attacks, then-New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani tried to extend his term for three months.)
<snip>
But it’s wiser to overreact than to underreact. Liberal democracy is precious. Even if the odds are slim that the president would try to take a page from Putin and Xi—men, it seems, Trump admires—the stakes demand that we remain vigilant.
<snip>

[triron]

16. You can be sure the Russians are watching.

[TwilightZone]

17. None of those are on par with cancelling the 2020 election.

It simply is not going to happen. There is no process by which he can realistically do so, unless you think a bunch of blue states and/or Democratic congresspeople are suddenly going to go along with it.

It's a waste of time worrying about it.