President Trump Ruminates Running Third Term – 22nd Amendment Violation

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On Saturday, President Trump said he was going to win Nevada and then he was going to negotiate to run again in 2024. He said he was entitled to another four years based on “the way we were treated.” That is an unconstitutional remark. It wasn’t accidental because he made a similar comment in Wisconsin in August. He said he would go for another four because “they spied on my campaign.”

Amendment 22 to the US Constitution, ratified on February 27, 1951, provides in part, “No person shall be elected to the office of the president more than twice.”

A very brief history of that amendment includes George Washington’s starting a tradition that no president should serve more than two terms. The process of adopting the 22nd amendment started in congress on March 21, 1947. The amendment was adopted on February 27, 1951, almost four years later. The process is cumbersome and can involve the congress and the states. In the case of the 22nd amendment that was adopted by 36 of the 48 then existing states, there is no way that a timely repeal of the 22nd amendment could be accomplished in time for Donald Trump to serve a third term. Does he have in mind some alternative procedure? What exactly is his plan?

Why has the president said he is going “negotiate” a third term? It is a mistake to not study Trump’s pronouncements carefully. It certainly was not a joke. He may or may not know about the 22nd amendment but what he has demonstrated is an irresistible will to be our ruler beyond constitutional and legal limits. People have a right to be upset about his ignoring an amendment to the US Constitution.  

 JJB


Copyright 2020 James J. Brosnahan

 


Comments

  1. Tom FordSeptember 16, 2020 at 7:16 PM

    thanks Jim! Jameso pointed me to your blog, it's good to see. Thank you for doing this.

    ReplyDelete

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