US Congressman Andy Ogles has introduced a controversial amendment to the U.S. Constitution to permit former President Donald Trump to serve a third term in the White House.
The proposal seeks to overturn the restrictions imposed by the 22nd Amendment, which limits presidents to two terms, arguing that Trump’s leadership is essential to restoring America’s prosperity and strength.
The amendment, proposed on Thursday, reads “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.”
In a statement accompanying the proposal, Ogles, a Republican from Tennessee, emphasized Trump’s significance in reshaping the nation’s trajectory, saying “President Trump’s decisive leadership stands in stark contrast to the chaos, suffering, and economic decline Americans have endured over the past four years. 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.”
This isn’t the first time the idea of a Trump third term has surfaced. After winning the 2024 presidential election, Trump jokingly suggested to House Republicans during a closed-door meeting that he might run again, depending on Congress’s actions.
“I suspect I won’t be running again, unless you do something,” Trump quipped. “Unless you say, ‘He’s so good, we have to just figure it out.’”
Although the comment was met with laughter and later dismissed as a joke by GOP members like Rep. Tim Burchett (R-Tenn.), it sparked widespread speculation and media buzz.
Trump’s Public Stance on a Third Term
While Trump’s supporters have floated the idea of extending his time in office, the former president has consistently denied any serious intentions of challenging constitutional limits. Speaking to Time magazine in April 2024, Trump clarified his position:
“I wouldn’t be in favor of a challenge. Not for me. I wouldn’t be in favor of it at all. I intend to serve four years and do a great job. And I want to bring our country back. I want to put it back on the right track.”
Legislative and Political Implications
Amending the US Constitution requires approval by two-thirds of both chambers of Congress and ratification by three-fourths of state legislatures—a steep climb for any proposed amendment, let alone one as contentious as extending presidential term limits.
Political analysts believe Ogles’s proposal has little chance of success but serves as a symbolic gesture to rally Trump’s base and solidify his role as the Republican Party’s dominant figure.
