A Republican lawmaker has introduced a constitutional amendment that, if approved, could pave the way for President Donald Trump to serve a third term in the White House. Rep. Andy Ogles (R-TN) proposed the amendment, which would allow a two-term president to seek a third term if their previous terms were non-consecutive. Ogles described the proposal as necessary to ensure the nation “can sustain the bold leadership our country so desperately needs.”
If enacted, the amendment would make Trump eligible to pursue another term, echoing the unique historical precedent set by President Grover Cleveland, the only U.S. president to serve two non-consecutive terms prior to Trump’s historic return to office. “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,” reads the amendment.
Only President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, who broke with long-standing precedent, served more than two terms in the White House, dying during his fourth term. In 1951, the ratification of the 22nd Amendment formally limited presidents to serving no more than two terms. “President Trump’s decisive leadership stands in stark contrast to the chaos, suffering, and economic decline Americans have endured over the past four years,” Ogles said in a statement on Thursday.
“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,” Ogles continued. Trump has often joked about running for a third term, a remark that consistently stirs strong reactions from Democrats and mainstream media outlets.
In one memorable Truth Social post, he shared a meme featuring a series of campaign signs that humorously read, “Trump 2024, Trump 2028, Trump 2032,” eventually extending across centuries. Trump most recently joked about the prospect while meeting with Republican lawmakers after his November election victory. “I suspect I won’t be running again, unless you do something,” Trump said a week after winning the 2024 presidential election. “Unless you say, ‘He’s so good, we have to just figure it out.’”