Republican lawmakers are brushing off President Trump’s comments that he is “not joking” about finding a way to get a third term in the White House, even as the president himself doubled down on Monday. Several members of Congress claimed that the president is likely just making a joke, even though he says he is not. 

The controversy started on Sunday when several pundits lit their hair on fire after Mr. Trump told NBC News that he was “not joking” about the third term idea. One of the suggestions Mr. Trump seemed open to is the possibility that he is the vice presidential nominee in 2028 with someone else leading the ticket, so that person can resign from office in 2029 and allow Mr. Trump to have another four years. 

The 22nd Amendment to the Constitution states that no person may be “elected” president more than twice, which some fringe legal minds view as a loophole for the president. 

“Don’t you think he’s probably kinda trolling?” Senator Hawley told reporters when asked about the president’s comments on Monday. “The Constitution’s pretty clear. I guess you could try to pass a constitutional amendment. I’m kind of a term limits fan.”

“You guys need to lighten up,” Mr. Hawley said with a smile. 

Mr. Trump, however, doubled down on Monday, telling members of the White House press corps that he would be happy to run again, though he has not studied specifics. When asked about the possibility of running against President Obama in 2028, Mr. Trump responded: “I’d love that.”

“People are asking me to run and there’s a whole story about running for a third term,” Mr. Trump said. “I don’t know. I never looked into it. They say there’s a way you can do it.”

A swing district House Republican, Congressman Don Bacon, tells the New York Sun however that he thinks there is no way for a president to seek a third term based on the text of the 22nd Amendment. 

“I think you need a 28th Amendment. I’ve gotta go back and check,” Mr. Bacon said with a smile. “I don’t think it’s gonna happen.”

The president has often cracked jokes about possibly running for a third term, but none of it seemed even remotely serious until his remarks on Sunday. In January, he elicited a wave of laughter from congressional Republicans when he mused about being able to run given how much campaign cash he still has sitting around. In February, at a Black History Month even at the White House, Mr. Trump again asked the crowd about running ago, though he said it with a laugh. 

Senator Husted, in a live interview with CNBC on Monday, claimed the president was only floating the possibility of running for a third term because the NBC News journalist who was interviewing him had brought up the subject. 

“The president was responding to a question. He wasn’t advocating for that,” Mr. Husted responded. “We all know that you would have to change the Constitution and that would be highly unlikely.”

The chairman of the Judiciary Committee, Senator Grassley, was more stern in his answer on Monday, telling NBC News that he should not even have to entertain the idea of Mr. Trump running again. “Read the constitution. I shouldn’t have to answer that. Read the Constitution,” Mr. Grassley said. 

The Senate majority leader, Senator Thune, also ran with the line that Mr. Trump is merely joking, and that for him to run for the White House for a fourth consecutive time, he would need a constitutional amendment. 

“I think that you guys keep asking the question and I think he’s probably having some fun with it,” Mr. Thune told reporters. “Probably messing with you,”