• Adelson tells Trump she consulted with attorney Alan Dershowitz about legality of third presidential term
• President jokes megadonor offered another $250 million campaign contribution for 2028 run
• 22nd Amendment ratified in 1951 prohibits anyone elected president twice from seeking office again

WASHINGTON, DC (TDR) — Billionaire GOP megadonor Miriam Adelson publicly urged President Donald Trump to consider running for a third term during a White House Hanukkah reception Tuesday, revealing she discussed potential legal avenues with attorney Alan Dershowitz despite constitutional prohibitions against such a candidacy.

The 80-year-old casino magnate and major pro-Israel advocate addressed attendees after Trump invited her onstage at the December 16 event. Adelson told the gathering she recently met with Dershowitz, who discussed the legal aspects of Trump serving four more years in office.

NOW – Miriam Adelson says she spoke to Alan Dershowitz in Israel about the legality of Trump serving a third 4-year term: "We can do it!.. Think about it. I will give you another $250 million." pic.twitter.com/Nw34IWpbDJ

— Disclose.tv (@disclosetv) December 17, 2025

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Constitutional Barriers and Financial Pledges

The 22nd Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, ratified February 27, 1951, explicitly states that no person shall be elected to the office of president more than twice. The amendment was passed following President Franklin D. Roosevelt‘s unprecedented four consecutive election victories between 1932 and 1944.

“I met Alan Dershowitz. I said, Alan, I agree with you. So we can do it. Think about it.”

Adelson’s comments prompted half-hearted chants of “Four more years” from attendees. Trump then revealed what he characterized as a private conversation, telling the crowd Adelson whispered in his ear and said she would give him “another $250 million” to consider running again. Earlier in his remarks, Trump noted Adelson had contributed $250 million to his campaigns “indirectly and directly.”

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According to Open Secrets data, Adelson poured $106 million into Preserve America, an election group that supported Trump’s successful 2024 presidential bid. She has been among the most influential Republican megadonors since the death of her husband Sheldon Adelson in 2021.

Legal Debate Over Third Terms

Constitutional scholars have debated potential loopholes in the 22nd Amendment’s language. The amendment prohibits being elected to the presidency more than twice but does not explicitly bar other paths to serving as president. Some legal experts have theorized a former two-term president could potentially serve as vice president and succeed to the presidency, or serve as Speaker of the House and assume the office through the presidential line of succession.

However, the 12th Amendment states that no person constitutionally ineligible to be president shall be eligible to serve as vice president, creating debate about whether the 22nd Amendment’s election prohibition makes someone constitutionally ineligible for the office itself.

In January 2025, Representative Andy Ogles introduced a joint resolution proposing an amendment that would allow a president to serve a third term if their first two terms were non-consecutive, language specifically intended to permit Trump another candidacy.

Policy Priorities and Political Influence

Trump praised the late Sheldon Adelson during Tuesday’s event, describing him as an amazing person who was aggressive in advocating for Israeli interests. Trump recalled Sheldon would request meetings that Sheldon claimed would take 10 minutes but typically lasted about 90 minutes. The president said Sheldon fought tirelessly for Israel during those White House visits.

Born and raised in Tel Aviv, Miriam Adelson has continuously pushed the Trump administration to support controversial Israeli policies. Israeli newspaper Haaretz reported in 2024 that Adelson’s primary objectives for Trump’s second term include Israeli annexation of the West Bank and U.S. recognition of Israeli sovereignty throughout the region.

During the Hanukkah reception, Trump also criticized what he characterized as rising antisemitism in Congress, claiming the Jewish and Israeli lobby was no longer the strongest political force in Washington and warning that some members of Congress now hate Israel.

Will constitutional scholars’ theoretical loopholes gain traction, or does the 22nd Amendment’s plain language definitively prevent any third Trump term regardless of financial backing?

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