Ogles Proposes a Trump Third Term

Rep. Andy Ogles (R-Tenn.) proposed an amendment Thursday, Jan 23. that would allow presidents three terms in office. The current 22nd Amendment of the Constitution restricts presidents to two terms, but Ogles aims to modify this law. However, running for a third term only applies to a few presidents, as the new proposition would only include those that have not served two consecutive terms. That would allow a third term for Trump, whose terms were interrupted by former president Joe Biden.

The proposed amendment states that no one can serve as president for more than three times, while also preventing someone from being elected after already serving two consecutive terms. The proposition would make popular candidates from the Democratic party like former president Barack Obama, who served two consecutive terms, be unable to run. Ogles justifies his decision to rewrite the law by asserting that Trump's leadership and capability to restore America’s greatness grants a third term.

Amending the U.S. Constitution is a challenging process though, with a law needing a two-thirds majority vote in the House of Representatives and the Senate. It would also require three-fourths of state legislatures to agree. With how divided the government and the public is,  the chance for this amendment to be ratified is highly unlikely. Harvard Law Professor Stephen Sachs describes Ogles’s plan as "impossibly difficult" because of the substantial obstacles and political makeup of Congress.

Supporters of Ogles say that allowing a third term for presidencies will provide Trump the necessary time to carry out his policies. However, critics state that such a move undermines the democracy of the U.S. They believe that prolonged power will only bring instability and a concerning precedent for American presidencies.

As the U.S. government looks to have a decision on the proposal, the outcome of this initiative will likely have lasting implications for the interpretation of presidential term limits. The idea of American politics will fully change, as the power of the executive branch will grow exponentially.