Readers respond to Question of the Week:

Will Trump try to serve a 3rd term?

Trump could serve a 3rd term

Donald Trump isn’t forbidden from serving a third term as president, regardless of the 22nd Amendment. That Amendment says, in part, “No person shall be elected to the office of the President more than twice.”

The key word is “elected,” which is also used in the other scenario limiting the number of terms a president can serve. The 25th Amendment gives the order of succession in the event of a president not being able to perform the duties of the office. No. 1 in that order is the vice president. The 22nd Amendment doesn’t say anything about a former or sitting president being elected to a term as the vice president.

According to our Constitution, Donald Trump could be elected the vice president. If the person who was elected the president resigns or is unable to perform the president’s duties, Donald Trump would be No. 1 in line to be the president and could serve a third term because he wasn’t elected to it.

— John Schlank, Porter Ranch

I’m calling it now

Donald Trump will try to find a way to run for a third term.

Why? Because rules, like debts, subpoenas, and the truth, have never really applied to him. He’ll argue that his first term “didn’t count” because of impeachment, or COVID, or the deep state, or Mercury being in retrograde —take your pick.

And if history (or at least his business record) is any guide, he’ll insist on a refund for time lost and demand another four years on the house.

Of course, the 22nd Amendment says otherwise. But since when has a little thing like the Constitution stopped him?

Expect rallies, lawsuits and maybe even a line of gold-plated “Trump 2028” hats.

— Alexis Sheehy, Redondo Beach

Trump’s distraction

The longest running democracy for over 200 years — the United States of America.

Trump’s delusion about a run for a third term is a distraction. He wants to end our proven system of checks and balances.

In other words, the executive branch becomes all powerful.

— Bob Ginn, Arcadia