Donald Trump has hinted at the possibility of serving a third term as president, despite the 22nd Amendment’s limit on two terms.
“I suspect I won’t be running again unless you say, ‘He’s so good, we’ve got to figure something else out,'” Trump told House Republicans in November.
A constitutional amendment proposed in the House by Republican Representative Andy Ogles of Tennessee aims to revise the 22nd Amendment, allowing Trump and future presidents to seek a third term.
“President Trump has demonstrated his unique ability to reverse our nation’s decline and restore its greatness. He must be afforded the time necessary to accomplish this mission,” Ogles said.
However, experts argue that repealing the 22nd Amendment is highly unlikely. “I don’t think there’s any realistic possibility that the 22nd Amendment could be repealed,” said Kermit Roosevelt, a constitutional law professor at the University of Pennsylvania.
Some scholars suggest that while the 22nd Amendment prohibits a president from being elected to a third term, it does not explicitly prevent them from serving a third term through other means, such as becoming vice president and then assuming the presidency.
Bruce Peabody, a professor of government and politics at Fairleigh Dickinson University, outlined five scenarios in which a twice-elected president could become or act as president again, including serving as vice president and then becoming president if the president dies, resigns, or is removed from office.
While these scenarios are theoretically possible, Roosevelt believes that any attempt to circumvent the 22nd Amendment would be challenged in court. “I think the odds of that being successful are extremely low,” he said.