File under the category of surprising absolutely no one, the party that seems terrified of viewing life outside of a Trump-only paradigm has coalesced at CPAC – conservative homecoming week, into the formation of the “Third Term Project” group, one dedicated to ensuring that the Constitution is amended so as to allow Trump to run for a third term (But not President Obama or George W. Bush). Per a report in Newsweek:
A Republican group is hoping to rally support to change the Constitution to allow President Donald Trump to seek a third term. The “Third Term Project” presented its proposals at the CPAC at the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center in Oxon Hill, Maryland, on Thursday. Republican Representative Andy Ogles of Tennessee introduced a House joint resolution in January to amend the part of the Constitution that prevents a president from being elected more than twice.
I suppose we can take solace in the fact that they do actually see the need to amend the Constitution. With some of these folks – including President Donald Trump, there is the worry that they don’t even feel that constrained by the Constitution and will just go forward with their plans without regard to the law. Meanwhile, it is interesting that the Republicans want this but do not want to allow anyone but Trump to take advantage of it. One wonders how and why they even thought about it at this level:
The Third Term Project held a press conference to show support for Ogles’ amendment proposal at CPAC, the annual conservative event. The wording of Ogles’ amendment proposal would prevent previous consecutive two-term presidents, such as Barack Obama or George W. Bush, from running for a third term. During a Black History Month event at the White House on Thursday, Trump asked, “Should I run again? You tell me.” The crowd responded with, “Four more years.”
One can say what one wants about George W’s post-presidency (Not a bad guy post-administration) or his paintings (Not all that bad for an amateur), but this isn’t about “W,” because he ain’t going to be elected again by nobody. But man oh man if Barack Obama ever got the sense that he was the only person who could beat Donald Trump – and, no, that would never be an ideal situation, we need circumstances under which six Democrats could beat Trump, but if there was the sense that it would take Barack Obama to beat Trump, that would be one hell of a race, and there’s every reason to believe that Obama would win. Which likely explains why the amendment reads as it does, so as to prevent Obama from running. They probably know they cannot beat Obama. Or, at least – don’t want to try it out.
Trump is speaking at a conference tomorrow whose attendees are promoting the “Third Term Project,” which calls to override the Constitution to let Trump hold onto power.
Their signage depicts Trump as Julius Caesar, who declared himself “dictator for life.” pic.twitter.com/QXUkYXoTRP
— FactPost (@factpostnews) February 21, 2025
There is another consideration. The Republicans’ slavish devotion to Donald Trump may come back to bite them in this one. The public tires of everybody after a certain amount of time, and Trump won’t be an exception. Sure, he will retain the vast majority of his supporters, but all he needs to lose is one-quarter, perhaps one-third, and his political career is over. So by going “all in” on a Trump third term, one wonders if they’ll get in the way of ruining what would otherwise be J.D. Vance’s first two terms, or some other MAGA acolyte. It is entirely possible that Trump becomes yesterday’s news but MAGA culture and MAGA policy continues, just seeking a new leader. It is not their reality now but it’s hard to predict the future, things change. By going full bore for a third term now, they’d prevent a lot of planning that might have created a new rising star.
But this was wholly predictable. Trump has been talking about a third term since back in his first term, before he lost a second chance. Of course, Trump would see himself as worthy of an exception, and of course he wants to be president for life. The very fact that he wants it so badly may cut against him in the future. One would think that to be an exception one would almost need to be drafted against one’s will. This would certainly not be that.
You knew it would happen, though. One wonders why they believe they’re so constrained. It sure reeks of insecurities, as if only one man is capable of leading them… As said, Democrats are only well-positioned if they have six to ten candidates that can win a general election. That’s the better way to roll.
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You know why FDR was President for 4 terms? He did GOOD THINGS for the American people.
Then the dumb-as-shit Republicans passed the amendment when Eisenhower was president. Ike could have had three terms. Rs are inherently stupid and self-defeating.
Well, they can try to pass their little amendment to prevent anyone other than Trump from enjoying the 3rd term deal but you literally CANNOT do that when creating an amendment. In fact, given the length of time it will take for the necessary 38 states to pass (and, considering the fact that Trump didn’t win 38 states in this last election, Trump will be dead before the amendment is actually added), Trump won’t be able to run again in 2028. Hell, it took 4 years for the 22nd Amendment to be added to the Constitution (when only 36 states were needed). It was sent to the states at the end of March of 1947 and was ratified by 18 states within just two months’ time. But, between Jan 1, 1948 and Dec 31, 1950, only 6 more states ratified the amendment. Then, in about 5 weeks, from Jan 25, 1951 to Feb 27, 1951, 12 more states ratified the amendment. (The major part of the discrepancy is due to how the state legislatures were set up to do business. Some measures have to go through a couple of sessions in separate years before they can be passed by the legislature and, in other cases, state issues take precedence and must be approved before “extraneous” matters can be considered.)
But with 38 states needing to ratify this proposal, it’s a safe bet that the pro-Drumpfers won’t even get 30 states in time for Drumpf to run for the GOP nomination. (He may have won 31 states’ electoral votes but I can see at least 4 of those states that, barring some major legislative flips in the next year or so, will NOT be approving the amendment. And he may lose the support of some of the red-state legislatures, if they’re even able to get the ratification up for consideration in time.)
Oh. On the subject of the 22nd Amendment, the reason it specifically exempted the incumbent President at the time of the Amendment’s ratification was the drafters of the bill didn’t know how long it might take to pass. Truman ran for reelection in 1948 (while the amendment was under consideration) and won and so, when the amendment was finally ratified in 1951, Truman was given the opportunity to run again IF he chose to (and he could’ve run for reelection in 1952, 1956, 1960, 1964, 1968 and 1972–though he would’ve died a little more than a month after winning that last election) per the Amendment’s terms but he decided he didn’t want to run again.
Nixon, as Eisenhower’s VP, did take over a couple of times while Ike was recovering from his various health scares but never in a formal capacity and never long enough to affect his Presidential terms (if he’d won the election in 1960, he would’ve been able to serve only until Jan 20, 1969–though Ike could’ve theoretically resigned and allowed Nixon to begin his Presidency before Jan 20, 1961 but he would’ve still had to step aside in 1969). IMS, Nixon only filled in for Ike for about a month or two total in the 8 years that Ike was President and that time was split over about a 5 or 6-year period.
But, the proposed amendment won’t make it since it has to pass both houses (the House and Senate) with a 2/3 majority and, unless the GOP bars the Democrats from showing up to vote, they simply do NOT have the votes in either house. (There is an alternate by which 2/3 of the states–currently 34 are required–may propose an amendment but that arrangement also requires 3/4 of the states to ratify the amendment. Again, there’s almost no manner in which the Drumpfers can get the 34 states necessary to call for the convention.)