President Trump has often joked about running for a third term — something other presidents have joked about as well, including Bill Clinton and Barack Obama.
Of course, when Trump did it, it sent Democrats into a panic.
“I suspect I won’t be running again unless you say, ‘He’s so good, we have to figure it out,’” the now-president said during a meeting with Congressional Republicans in November, after he won the election.
In response to the joke, Rep. Dan Goldman (D-N.Y.) drafted a resolution declaring that Trump can only serve two terms — entirely unnecessary, since this is already established by the 22nd Amendment.
But now, Trump’s remarks have inspired a serious legislative proposal that could reshape presidential term limits.
U.S. Rep. Andy Ogles (R-Tenn.) has introduced a constitutional amendment aimed at allowing a president to serve a third non-consecutive term. The amendment, if passed, would permit a two-term president to run again after stepping away from the office, as long as the terms aren’t consecutive. However, it would maintain the current prohibition on serving more than two consecutive terms or more than three total.
The proposed amendment reads:
No person shall be elected to the office of the President more than three times, nor be elected to any additional term after being elected to two consecutive terms, and 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 twice.
The amendment was clearly designed for President Trump’s unique circumstances.
“President Trump’s decisive leadership stands in stark contrast to the chaos, suffering, and economic decline Americans have endured over the past four years. He 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,” Rep. Ogles said in a statement. “To that end, I am proposing an amendment to the Constitution to revise the limitations imposed by the 22nd Amendment on presidential terms. This amendment would allow President Trump to serve three terms, ensuring that we can sustain the bold leadership our nation so desperately needs.”
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Ogles argued that allowing Trump a third term is justified because Trump needs “every resource necessary to correct the disastrous course set by the Biden administration.”
He added, “We, as legislators and as states, must do everything in our power to support him.”
Highlighting Trump’s decisive actions, Ogles noted that in just a few days, Trump has already taken steps to undo Biden-era policies. “President Trump has tackled the crisis at our southern border by declaring a national emergency, deploying additional troops and resources to curb illegal crossings, and expediting the completion of the border wall,” Ogles said. He praised Trump’s move to end birthright citizenship for children of illegal aliens and his designation of Mexican cartels as terrorist organizations to empower law enforcement. Beyond immigration, Ogles applauded Trump’s efforts to “set American energy free” by lifting restrictions on oil and gas drilling, dismantling DEI programs, and withdrawing the U.S. from the World Health Organization, a move Ogles said he was “personally very excited about.”
Ogles didn’t hold back in criticizing the Biden administration, noting how it had subjected Americans to “relentless abuses” that would take years to undo. He cited a surge in illegal immigration, drug overdoses, violent crime, and financial hardships as evidence of Biden’s failures. “Soaring gas and grocery costs have crushed countless families’ financial security,” Ogles lamented while also taking aim at the radical LGBTQ+ agenda, DEI mandates, and censorship of free speech. He further accused the Biden administration of stripping servicemembers of their pay and rank over vaccine mandates, calling these failures “egregious.”
According to Ogles, Trump’s leadership offers a stark contrast to the chaos under Biden, emphasizing that the country needs Trump’s decisive policies to regain its strength and prosperity.
On its face, Ogles is right, but this amendment is DOA and won’t get passed, so the issue is moot.
Despite joking about it, Trump previously said he’s not interested in changing the 22nd Amendment. “I wouldn't be in favor of it. I wouldn't be in favor of a challenge. Not for me,” he told Time Magazine last year. “I wouldn't be in favor of it at all. I intend to serve four years and do a great job. And I want to bring our country back. I want to put it back on the right track.”
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