The View cohost Ana Navarro might not want a third tenure in the White House for Donald Trump, but she’s totally fine with a triple-term presidency for Barack Obama.
As the talk show cohosts reacted Wednesday morning to the prior evening’s blue wave of Democratic wins on election day, the Republican panelist floated the idea of Obama securing a third term in office, after Trump and his associates have teased that the controversial political figure will seek an unprecedented (and, by all counts, currently constitutionally prohibited) third term in office.
Moderator Whoopi Goldberg closed out a Hot Topics segment by reminding the American public of their duty to hold elected officials to their terms, prompting Navarro to introduce the idea of Obama — who served as president for two terms from 2009-2017 — taking office once again.
“We must remind everybody who won what their job is supposed to be and why you voted or them. And when it’s not happening, it is our right as New Yorkers, as Americans, to say, ‘What is happening? I gave you my vote!'” Goldberg said to the audience, referencing several Democratic victories that swept the nation Tuesday night, including New York mayoral race victor Zohran Mamdani and New Jersey and Virginia gubernatorial champions Mikie Sherrill and Abigail Spanberger.
Goldberg continued, adding that, “It’s always been in our hands. All these votes are in our hands. No one can say, ‘I’m the president, so I’m going to run for 400 years. We have the right to say, ‘Um, excuse me. You’re not allowed to do that.'”
Navarro then jumped in with an observation, telling her cohosts, “I saw Obama on the trail in Virginia, and I thought to myself, Okay, Donald Trump, you want to run for a third time? We’ve got a candidate.“
She continued, “If [Trump] can run for a third term, so can Obama.”
Many have lambasted Trump and his political allies for suggesting this year that he might seek office for a third time, despite there being no current constitutional grounds to do so.
The View cohost and former Trump staffer Alyssa Farah Griffin said earlier in October that she was worried Trump might realistically pursue avenues to remain in office.
Griffin’s concern arose after former Trump strategist Steve Bannon told The Economist that Trump is “going to get a third term” and that “there’s a plan” to do so, even though the 22nd amendment expressly prohibits such a move.
“Republicans have pretty much given him free reign up until now,” Goldberg said at the time, turning toward the audience to ask, “Are they going to let this happen? Are y’all going to let it happen?”
Entertainment Weekly has reached out to representatives for Obama and the White House for comment on Navarro’s remarks.
The View airs weekdays on ABC.
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