Republican Floats Constitutional Amendment to Allow Trump a Third Term

[In It to Win It]

Representative Andy Ogles of Tennessee has introduced a Joint Resolution in Congress seeking to amend the 22nd Amendment of the U.S. Constitution that would allow President Donald Trump to serve a third term in the White House

Newsweek reached out to Ogles' office and the Trump White House by email for comment on Thursday evening.

Why It Matters

President Donald Trump has previously joked about running for a third term, something the U.S. Constitution does not allow due to the 22nd Amendment.

Following his victory in the 2024 U.S. presidential election, Trump told House Republicans, "I suspect I won't be running again, unless you say, 'he's so good, we've got to figure something else." The comment drew outrage from critics on X, formerly known as Twitter.

The 22nd Amendment says: "No person shall be elected to the office of the President more than twice, 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 once."

However, Trump previously told Time magazine he would not support changing the amendment, saying he "wouldn't be in favor of a challenge. Not for me. I wouldn't be in favor of it at all."

https://www.newsweek.com/third-trump-term-amendment-constitution-ogles-2020058

[Freddie]

1. But...but...Joe Biden was TOO OLD!!

Apparently TFG plans on never aging.

[eppur_se_muova]

10. THIS, a brazillion times !

The GQP would embalm him in wax, like Lenin's corpse, and keep him in the Oval Office if they could. And they'll likely change the law to make sure they can.

[BOSSHOG]

2. I like it

Let trump establish a record this term. Run again as an 82 year old in 2028. Without election interference the gop would slip into irrelevance for decades.

I doubt that will happen but a sucker and loser can dream.

[struggle4progress]

3. Andy clearly want more violent felons released back onto our streets

[generalbetrayus]

4. Orange Julius Caesar has no need to run

for President in 2028. He will have declared himself President-for-life by that time.

[B.See]

6. Yep. And he's already told us so.

[Liberal In Texas]

5. This was always going to happen. If he had beaten Biden in '20 they would have started this

amendment nonsense so he could run in '24. They really do want an emperor.

[CanonRay]

7. Then we run Obama

[Mountainguy]

8. Barack Obama has entered the chat...

But no, this has no chance of going anywhere...

[William Gustafson]

9. Great....!!!!

I look forward to Barrack Obama's third term...

[brush]

11. Can this Rep. kiss trump's ass any deeper? My God, get off you knees, Ogles.

[LetMyPeopleVote]

12. Federal prosecutors withdraw from investigation targeting GOP's Andy Ogles

Last week, the congressman unveiled a proposal to allow Trump to run for a third term. This week, he’s no longer under investigation.

Last week, Republican Rep. Andy Ogles unveiled a proposal to allow Trump to run for a third term.

This week, prosecutors withdrew from Ogles' criminal investigation.

That's quite a coincidence. www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddo...

— Steve Benen (@stevebenen.com) 2025-01-31T17:55:52.472Z

Last week, Republican Rep. Andy Ogles unveiled a proposal to allow Trump to run for a third term.

This week, prosecutors withdrew from Ogles' criminal investigation.

That's quite a coincidence.

Link to tweet

https://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/federal-prosecutors-withdraw-investigation-targeting-gops-andy-ogles-rcna190197

In other words, it was possible that Ogles introduced an absurd proposal to empower Trump to run again in 2028 because of his affection for the president, knowing full well it will never become law. But it was also possible that he was trying to flatter Trump and get his attention amid an investigation that might lead to a criminal indictment.

Just eight days after Ogles unveiled his measure, it appears there’s some news out of Tennessee. WTVF, the CBS affiliate in Nashville, reported:

Federal prosecutors based in Nashville have withdrawn from the criminal investigation of Tennessee Congressman Andy Ogles, an unprecedented move that could signal plans by the Trump administration to drop the case against a Republican ally. With no explanation, Acting U.S. Attorney Brian McGuire filed a notice late Thursday to withdraw Assistant U.S. Attorneys Robert S. Levine and J. Christopher Suedekum from an on-going legal dispute over the FBI’s access to evidence seized from Ogles last year.

.....The investigation was ongoing when there was a dispute between Ogles’ lawyers and the U.S. attorney’s office over access to evidence on his phone. That matter ended up in court, but before it could be fully adjudicated, federal prosecutors withdrew from the case, raising questions about whether the investigation will continue as Trump and his team take control of federal law enforcement.

Of course, if the investigation does collapse, there will be no shortage of questions about how much partisan politics might've played a role.

We’ll learn soon enough what becomes of the Ogles controversy, but it’s worth emphasizing that the president has already demonstrated an unnerving affection for Republican members of Congress who have been accused of corruption. In his first term, Trump pardoned two former GOP lawmakers who’d already been convicted, and this week, he celebrated the demise of the case against a different former Republican congressman who’d been found guilty by a jury.

The new trump DOJ will reward trump's friends and punish trump's enemies.