Q: Can a former president serve as VP and then president again?

A: That’s a thoughtful and interesting question, and you're not alone in wondering how the Constitution applies to this kind of scenario. The 22nd Amendment limits a person to being elected president only twice, and Donald Trump has already served one full term. He is eligible to run for president again once more, but the question gets tricky when you introduce the idea of serving as vice president first.

If a former president were elected vice president and then had to assume the presidency, that would still count toward the two-term limit if it results in more than two years of service. The Constitution doesn’t allow anyone who is ineligible to be president to hold the office of vice president either, according to the 12th Amendment. So if a person has already been elected president twice, they cannot be elected vice president as a way to become president again through succession.

Since Trump has only served one term, the issue isn’t about eligibility yet—but the scenario you described would still raise legal and constitutional challenges. Even if consecutive terms aren’t the issue, the total number of terms and the manner of reentry into the presidency are heavily guarded by law. So yes, someone like Trump could technically run again, but running as vice president with the intent to become president again could spark legal battles. You’re right to question how the rules might be tested—it’s something legal scholars are actively debating.