Can Barack Obama be vice president in 2028?
Almost certainly not. The 12th Amendment bars anyone ineligible to be president from being vice president, and the 22nd Amendment makes a two-term president like Obama ineligible for the presidency.
The 12th Amendment states that 'no person constitutionally ineligible to the office of President shall be eligible to that of Vice-President.' Because the 22nd Amendment makes Barack Obama ineligible to be elected president again, most constitutional scholars conclude he likewise could not serve as vice president.
This is the same analysis that applies to Donald Trump as a potential 2028 running mate. A minority of scholars argue the 22nd Amendment only restricts 'election' to the presidency and does not technically reach the VP slot, but relying on that theory would invite immediate legal challenges.
No court has ruled on the precise question, so it remains technically untested. As a practical matter, no major-party ticket would risk the litigation and Electoral College chaos that a two-term former president as VP would create.
Obama has expressed no interest in any such arrangement, so for 2028 the question is academic.
Related questions
Does the 12th Amendment really block this?
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Related explainers
No. Like every two-term president, Barack Obama is barred by the 22nd Amendment from being elected again. He was elected in 2008 and 2012, reaching the two-term limit, so he cannot run for president in 2028.
Probably not. The 12th Amendment bars anyone constitutionally ineligible to be president from serving as vice president, and the 22nd Amendment makes Trump ineligible for the presidency.
The 22nd Amendment limits the president to two elected terms. Ratified in 1951, it bars any person from being elected president more than twice.
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