Rep. Andy Ogles (R-TN) proposed an amendment to the U.S. Constitution that would allow President Trump to serve a third term in the White House. This, he said, allows the nation to “maintain the bold leadership our country so desperately needs.”
Ogles proposed an amendment Thursday that “no person may be elected to the office of President more than three times, no person may be elected to an additional term after being elected to two consecutive terms, and no person may be elected to the office of President who has previously held the office.” A President shall be elected to the office of President for two or more terms if any other person has served as President or Acting President for more than two years during the term for which he was elected.”
Like other U.S. presidents, Trump is barred from running for the White House a third time under the 22nd Amendment.
“President Trump’s decisive leadership stands in stark contrast to the chaos, suffering and economic decline that Americans have endured over the past four years,” Ogles said in a statement Thursday. “Reverse our country’s decline and restore America to greatness, and he must be given the time he needs to achieve that goal.”
Trump jokingly mentioned the possibility of running for a third term to House Republicans at a meeting in Washington before internal leadership elections.
“I don’t think I’ll run again unless you do something,” Trump said a week after winning the 2024 presidential election, The Hill reported. “Unless you say, ‘He’s so good that we’ll figure it out on our own.’”
After the meeting, House Republicans told reporters the comments were not serious and that they laughed when they heard them.
“That was a joke. “It was clearly a joke.” Rep. Tim Burchett (R-Tenn.) said at the time. “I leaned over to somebody next to me (Arizona Rep.) Andy Biggs and said tomorrow’s headline would be, ‘Trump is trying to tear down the Constitution,’ and nothing could be further from the truth.”
President Trump previously announced to the media that he would not seek a third term if he won the 2024 White House election.
“I don’t like challenges. Not for me. I wouldn’t agree with that at all. I plan to serve for four years and do a great job. And I want my country back. “I want to get it back on the right track,” Trump told TIME last April.
On Thursday, Ogles, a member of the House Freedom Caucus, praised a series of executive orders Trump has signed since taking office Monday, including those related to handling the southern border, energy production and withdrawing from the World Health Organization.
“In just a few days, President Trump has already taken steps to undo the Biden administration’s disastrous policies and get America back on the path to strength and prosperity,” said Rep. Ogles.