By Free Republic | Created at 2025-01-24 15:17:39 | Updated at 2025-01-29 03:07:31
4 days ago
Constitutional amendment to allow Trump third term introduced in the House
CNBC ^ | January 24, 2025 | Dan Mangan
Posted on 01/24/2025 6:43:51 AM PST by Red Badger
Key Points
* A Republican House member introduced a resolution to amend the U.S. Constitution to allow President Donald Trump — and any other future president — to be elected to serve a third term.
* Rep. Andy Ogles of Tennessee introduced the measure days after Trump was sworn in for a second nonconsecutive term in the White House.
* The 22nd Amendment currently bars anyone from being elected to more than two terms.
===================================================================
A Republican House member introduced a resolution Thursday to amend the U.S. Constitution in order to allow President Donald Trump — and any other future president — to be elected to a third term in the White House.
Trump “has proven himself to be the only figure in modern history capable of reversing our nation’s decay and restoring America to greatness, and he must be given the time necessary to accomplish that goal,” said Rep. Andy Ogles of Tennessee, who proposed extending the current maximum of two elected terms.
“It is imperative that we provide President Trump with every resource necessary to correct the disastrous course set by the Biden administration,” Ogles said in a statement.
“He is dedicated to restoring the republic and saving our country, and we, as legislators and as states, must do everything in our power to support him,” said Ogles, a hard-line conservative who is serving his second term in the House.
“I am proposing an amendment to the Constitution to revise the limitations imposed by the 22nd Amendment on presidential terms,” he added.
Ogles’ move came three days after Trump was sworn in for a second, nonconsecutive term — becoming only the second U.S. president to accomplish that feat.
And the resolution comes two months after Rep. Dan Goldman, a New York Democrat, introduced a House resolution that “reaffirms that the Twenty-second Amendment applies to two terms in the aggregate as President of the United States,” and that the amendment applies to the 78-year-old Trump.
A White House spokesperson did not immediately reply to a request for comment on Ogles’ resolution.
The 22nd Amendment of the Constitution states in part, “No person shall be elected to the office of the President more than twice.”
Ogles’ resolution seeks to revise this to read, ”’No person shall be elected to the office of the President more than three times.”
The original amendment also states, “No person who has held the office of President, or acted as President, for more than two years of a term to which some other person was elected President shall be elected to the office of the President more than once.”
In his statement Thursday, Ogles said the resolution he was introducing “would allow President Trump to serve three terms, ensuring that we can sustain the bold leadership our nation so desperately needs.”
Proposed in 1947 and ratified in 1951, the 22nd Amendment was authored to prevent a repeat of President Franklin Roosevelt’s unprecedented election to four terms in office.
To this day, Roosevelt is the only president ever to have been elected to more than two terms. He died in 1945, less than 90 days after his fourth inauguration.
Republicans currently hold an extremely narrow, three-seat majority in the House. Few, if any Democrats, are likely to vote for Ogles’ resolution with Trump in office.
Trump is open to it
Over the course of his political career, Trump has repeatedly hinted at his willingness to serve more than two terms in office.
“I suspect I won’t be running again, unless you say, ‘He’s so good we’ve got to figure something else out,’” Trump reportedly mused to House Republicans during a private meeting in November, shortly after his electoral victory over Democratic former Vice President Kamala Harris.
Speaking to members of the National Rifle Association in May, Trump said, ″I don’t know, are we going to be considered three-term or two-term? Are we three-term or two-term if we win?″
Trump’s openness to a third term does not come as a surprise to some people who know him.
The former Fox News journalist Geraldo Rivera, who was friendly with Trump for decades in New York, predicted in December that Trump and his allies would soon turn their attention to the 22nd Amendment.
“For future reference: President Trump & Co. will soon start chattering about revoking/amending the 22d Amendment, which limits presidents to two four year terms,” Rivera wrote on X.
Other ways to stay in power
Amending the Constitution is not the only way that Trump could stay in power after his current term ends.
“Though the 22nd Amendment prohibits Trump from being elected president again, it does not prohibit him from serving as president beyond Jan. 20, 2029,” wrote Philip Klinkner, a professor of government at Hamilton College, in a recent article in The Conversation.
“The reason for this is that the 22nd Amendment only prohibits someone from being ‘elected’ more than twice,” Klinker wrote. “It says nothing about someone becoming president in some other way than being elected to the office.”
Klinker wrote that one hypothetical scenario would be for Trump to run for vice president in 2028, and have Vice President JD Vance run at the top of the ticket, for president.
“If elected, Vance could then resign, making Trump president again,” Klinker wrote. “But Vance would not even have to resign in order for a Vice President Trump to exercise the power of the presidency.
The 25th Amendment to the Constitution states that if a president declares that ‘he is unable to discharge the powers and duties of the office … such powers and duties shall be discharged by the Vice President as Acting President.’ ”
Another scenario Klinker imagined is for Trump to encourage a family member to run for, and win, the White House. Once elected, they would serve as little more than a figurehead president, while Trump made the key decisions.
TOPICS: Government; History; Military/Veterans; Politics
KEYWORDS:
Click here: to donate by Credit Card
Or here: to donate by PayPal
Or by mail to: Free Republic, LLC - PO Box 9771 - Fresno, CA 93794
Thank you very much and God bless you.
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-20, 21-27 next last
1 posted on 01/24/2025 6:43:51 AM PST by Red Badger
To: Red Badger
The ironic thing - Trump is in his third term right now.
Ran three times, won by larger margins each time.
45-47. The Dash Matters.
2 posted on 01/24/2025 6:45:47 AM PST by C210N (Mundus vult decipi, ergo decipiatur.)
To: Red Badger
3 posted on 01/24/2025 6:47:18 AM PST by Ann Archy (Abortion....... The HUMAN Sacrifice to the god of Convenience.)
To: C210N
HAHA this will drive the left even more insane.
To: Red Badger
No thanks, love Trump but that’s not the answer. Prefer an amendment that bars professional politicians in senate and house from more than 12 years.
5 posted on 01/24/2025 6:48:17 AM PST by Magnum44 (...against all enemies, foreign and domestic... )
To: Red Badger
At his age (similar to mine) passing the torch in four years is what is best. If MAGA Republicanism can’t produce leaders we are sunk anyway.
6 posted on 01/24/2025 6:48:20 AM PST by KC Burke
To: Magnum44
Just have Donald Trump Jr. or Eric Trump run, and then Barron in about 20 years.
7 posted on 01/24/2025 6:49:24 AM PST by dfwgator (Endut! Hoch Hech!)
To: Red Badger
8 posted on 01/24/2025 6:50:17 AM PST by Fury
To: Red Badger
Non-starter. He’ll have a great 4 years and then it is time to pass the torch. Now if Mr. Tennessee Politician wants to introduce an amendment limiting Congress to 2 terms, that would be great.
9 posted on 01/24/2025 6:50:43 AM PST by dware (Americans prefer peaceful slavery over dangerous freedom)
To: Red Badger
Bad ideas all around. Either Trump is an individual, once-in-a-lifetime leader who will eventually be gone, no matter the number of terms, or the MAGA movement will need new leadership that can continue Trump’s legacy.
10 posted on 01/24/2025 6:50:44 AM PST by kosciusko51
To: Red Badger
The amendment would never get the necessary votes in the Senate or House, or be ratified by three-quarters of the states in time for the 2028 election. If there was a chance of it being adopted, that would just give further incentive to the Democrats to have Trump eliminated.
Most Presidents have a less successful second term (Trump looks like he will be an exception) and are usually worn out after 8 years, so there would not be many future Presidents who would want to avail themselves of the possibility.
To: Red Badger
No.
Imagine if 0bumma had 3 terms.
Well, he did, vicariously, but not constitutionally elected.
12 posted on 01/24/2025 6:51:02 AM PST by Westbrook (.ts are wizards at two things: Finding votes and losing evidence.)
To: Red Badger
Bad ideas make bad precedents
13 posted on 01/24/2025 6:51:15 AM PST by nathanbedford (Attack, repeat, attack! - Bull Halsey)
To: Red Badger
14 posted on 01/24/2025 6:53:18 AM PST by TornadoAlley3 ( I'm Proud To Be An Okie From Muskogee)
To: dfwgator
Like the bushes, No dynasties. Vance should be able to prove himself just fine.
15 posted on 01/24/2025 6:54:11 AM PST by Magnum44 (...against all enemies, foreign and domestic... )
To: dfwgator
You discount Vice President Vance?
16 posted on 01/24/2025 6:56:29 AM PST by Churchillspirit (Pray for President Trump)
To: Red Badger
No thanks. We had Obambi for 8 illegitimate terms. We don’t need it enshrined in the Constitution.
17 posted on 01/24/2025 6:56:38 AM PST by chuckb87
To: chuckb87
Never forget, BIDEN CAN ALWAYS RUN AGAIN!..............
18 posted on 01/24/2025 6:57:28 AM PST by Red Badger (Homeless veterans camp in the streets while illegals are put up in 5 Star hotels....................)
To: Red Badger
Ignorant idea. Trump will be too old for a third term. This is it.
19 posted on 01/24/2025 6:59:45 AM PST by madison10
To: Red Badger
I like all of these scenarios! can any American history buff even imagine the damage a fourth full term by that dyed in the wool progressive Roosevelt would have wrought on THESE United States of America?
20 posted on 01/24/2025 6:59:57 AM PST by Qwapisking (Q: know the difference between a petulant 6 y.o. and a liberal? A:age. L.Star )
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-20, 21-27 next last
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson
