Tuesday Briefing

President Trump told NBC News he was “not joking” about the possibility of a third term in office, which the Constitution prohibits.Credit…Kenny Holston/The New York Times

Why Trump is musing about a third term

Barring constitutional changes, President Trump cannot run for a third term. But he has floated the idea, publicly and otherwise, and said recently that he was “not joking” about it, though there’s no real evidence that it’s possible. (Top Republicans yesterday rejected the idea of amending the Constitution to allow it.)

But such talk serves a purpose: it redirects attention from other controversies, and it prevents potential successors from emerging to steal his spotlight. Some observers suggest that his strategy may be to keep people guessing, and to antagonize the left. “Trump excels by keeping people off kilter and uncomfortable,” a former Republican strategist said.

Separately, world markets tumbled yesterday as investors braced for new Trump tariffs that would affect the U.S.’s biggest trading partners. Trump, who has promised to overhaul the global trading system, plans to unveil tomorrow what he is calling “reciprocal tariffs,” to match the import taxes and other measures that other countries apply to American exports. (He has taken to calling tomorrow “Liberation Day.”)

Mixed messages: A White House trade adviser said tariffs would raise about $6 trillion over the next decade. But experts say that using tariffs to increase revenue conflicts with the administration’s goal of bringing manufacturing back to the U.S. This is why.

At home: The tariffs are expected to raise the cost of cars, electronics and other products that American consumers buy from overseas. Trump and his aides are betting they can persuade Americans to swallow higher prices. But that could be a hard sell.

More on the Trump administration

• The U.S. has spent $40 million so far to jail about 400 migrants at Guantánamo Bay, the Pentagon estimated.

• The Trump administration said it was reviewing roughly $9 billion in funding awarded to Harvard, accusing the school of letting antisemitism run unchecked.

• U.S. businesses that rely on immigrants are pushing for legislation to ensure an adequate, legal flow of laborers.

• Economists say Trump’s cuts to scientific research could pose a long-term risk to the U.S.

• No toilet paper and no privacy: On returning to the office, federal workers have found themselves walking into chaos. It’s not an accident.

• Track Trump’s actions since he took office.