House GOP measure would let Trump seek third term
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President Trump signing a cryptocurrency executive order in the Oval Office on Jan. 23, 2025. Photo: Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images.
A House Republican on Thursday introduced a proposed change to the Constitution that would allow President Trump to seek a third term in office.
Why it matters: The amendment has virtually no chance of becoming ratified but it is a marker of the depths of fealty the new president enjoys within the House GOP.
- Republican House members have rushed to introduce bills that would codify Trump's vision for expanding the U.S. borders by acquiring Greenland and the Panama Canal, for instance.
- The measure is an extreme long-shot: It would need a two-thirds vote in both chambers of Congress and be ratified by 38 states to be added to the Constitution.
Driving the news: Rep. Andy Ogles (R-Tenn.) said Thursday he is introducing a two-page joint resolution to amend the 22nd Amendment, which sets the current two-term limit for presidents.
- Ogles' amendment would allow any president to serve a third term if their first two terms were non-consecutive.
- The text of the amendment would still prohibit a third term if the first two were consecutive — prohibiting former Presidents Bush, Obama and Clinton from running again — or a third full term for anyone who has served more than two years of someone else's term.
What they're saying: "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."
- Ogles is a member of the Trump-aligned House Freedom Caucus who introduced legislation to allow him to negotiate a purchase of Greenland.
The other side: Ogles also faces a potential House Ethics Committee investigation for his campaign finances, as one House Democrat who sits on the committee that considers constitutional amendments noted.
- "I don't think he wants to talk about the campaign finance fraud that he is accused of and would like us instead to focus on what a committed Trump sycophant he is," said Rep. Becca Balint (D-Vt.), a Judiciary Committee member.
- "Truly pathetic. Voters from Tennessee deserve much better," she said.
- Rep. Steve Cohen (D-Tenn.), another Judiciary member, told Axios: "2 terms is enough chaos for any nation to endure."
Editor's note: This story has been updated with an additional statement.
