House Speaker Mike Johnson recently addressed the speculative chatter around former President Donald Trump's potential bid for a third term.
Describing the constitutional amendment necessary for such a move as a significant challenge, the feasibility of Trump's third-term aspirations seems dim, the New York Post reported.
The 22nd Amendment, ratified in 1951, clearly restricts presidents to only two terms in office. To alter this would require not just a simple legislative change but a formidable amendment to the U.S. Constitution itself.
According to the existing constitutional rules, passing a new amendment is no easy feat. It demands approval by a two-thirds majority in both houses of Congress and subsequent ratification by three-quarters of the state legislatures, totaling 38 out of 50 states.
Given the current political climate with narrow Republican majorities, obtaining this level of bipartisan support is unlikely. The last successful amendment, which dealt with congressional pay adjustments, was ratified more than three decades ago in 1992. The logistical and political barriers are substantial.
Although President Trump has both humorously and seriously raised the idea of a third term, he recognizes the constitutional barriers that stand in the way. His recent comments suggest focus remains on his current administrative responsibilities rather than future electoral ambitions.
Moving beyond traditional political paths, some of Trump's supporters, like Steve Bannon, continue to push for his third presidential run, despite legal obstacles. They see potential strategies, even if unprecedented and controversial.
Speculative strategies include Trump possibly becoming the Speaker of the House, and later ascending to the presidency should the current president and vice president resign—an incredibly unlikely and complex scenario. Adding to the conversation, Representative Andy Ogles has proposed a constitutional amendment that would allow a third presidential term under certain conditions, specifically designed to exclude former Presidents like Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, and Barack Obama.
The exploratory discussions amongst Trump's circle about navigating around the 22nd Amendment have led to further scrutiny by legal experts. The 12th Amendment, for instance, prevents anyone ineligible for the presidency from assuming the role of vice president, closing another potential loophole.
Republican Senator John Thune expressed skepticism about the seriousness of Trump's repeated term-extension comments, suggesting that they might be partly in jest to provoke media and political discussion.
Here is Mike Johnson discussing the matter:
There’s a constitutional path. You have to amend the Constitution to do it, and that’s a high bar. The president and I have talked about this, joked about it. He’s joked about it with me on stage before. You know, we take him at his word.
Franklin D. Roosevelt remains the sole U.S. President to have served more than two terms, having won four elections before the 22nd Amendment's ratification set the current term limits. Trump's recent musing about a third term raises intriguing constitutional and political arguments. His comments reflect both a teasing challenge to the status quo and underline the serious hurdles any such effort would face.
Altogether, the discussion highlights the complex intersection of historical precedent, legal boundaries, and contemporary political strategy. It underscores the ongoing influence Trump maintains within certain segments of the political landscape, and the lengths his most ardent supporters might consider going to see him in power again. However, without significant changes to fundamental U.S. legal structures, a third Trump term remains more a topic of discussion than a practical possibility.
