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By The RepresentUs Team April 4, 2025 |
Can Trump Serve a Third Term?
President Donald Trump recently suggested he is considering ways to serve a third term, stating, “I’m not joking.”
Is this something he can legally do? The short answer is no.
Presidents are Limited to Two Terms By the Constitution
The 22nd Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, ratified in 1951, explicitly states: “No person shall be elected to the office of the President more than twice.”
This amendment was passed in response to President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s unprecedented four-term presidency, which, despite the backdrop of World War II, had sparked concerns about the dangers of a long-term unchecked presidency.
Could the Constitution Change to Allow a President to Serve a Third Term?
For a U.S. president to serve beyond two terms, the 22nd Amendment would need to be repealed or altered.
There are two primary ways to achieve this:
- Congress Proposes an Amendment
- A two-thirds majority in both the House of Representatives and Senate must approve a new constitutional amendment.
- Three-fourths (38) of the 50 state legislatures must ratify the amendment for it to take effect.
- Constitutional Convention Called by States
- If two-thirds (34) of state legislatures request a constitutional convention, an amendment could be proposed.
- Again, ratification by three-fourths of the states would be required.
Both of these paths are extremely difficult and unlikely given the political landscape and historical precedent.
Would We Even Want a President to Serve a Third Term? No.
Even before the 22nd Amendment, George Washington had set a precedent by declining to seek a third term in 1796.
Washington’s voluntary departure from power reinforced a core value of our political system: public officials should willingly step aside for the health of the nation. His decision helped create the expectation that leadership should not become a lifelong position.
The United States is unique compared to other democracies that don’t have term limits for its leaders (e.g., Germany, Canada, U.K.) in that our presidential system (compared to these other countries’ parliamentary systems) centralizes significant power in a single executive, making it particularly vulnerable to abuses if term limits were removed.
While our three branches of government have an elaborate system of checks and balances that will theoretically stop power grabs, a determined leader can still amass influence in ways that could erode democratic safeguards.
Without term limits, they could further exploit executive powers—such as issuing executive orders, leveraging the Justice Department, or influencing federal agencies—to consolidate control.
History has shown that countries with unchecked presidential power often slide into authoritarianism. Leaders in nations like Russia, Venezuela, and Turkey have manipulated legal frameworks to extend their rule indefinitely, often suppressing opposition and undermining democratic norms.
What Do We Do?
When our institutions and our representatives let us down, it’s on We The People to act. That’s why we’re building a nationwide movement to make the government more accountable to the needs of the American people. Sign up with us and find out how you can get involved.