It has certainly been a week for the history books for the United States.
Donald Trump, 78, was sworn in as the 47th President of the United States on Monday (20 January), marking a historic return to the White House.
After his first term ended in 2021, Trump became the second president in US history to serve non-consecutive terms (following Grover Cleveland, the 22nd and 24th president).
Now, under the current 22nd Amendment to the United States Constitution, US presidents can only serve two terms in Office.
However, one congressman is hoping to change that.
Shortly after Trump’s inauguration, Tennessee congressman Andy Ogles introduced a Joint Resolution aimed at amending the 22nd Amendment to the Constitution.
If Ogles’ proposal succeeds, a president could potentially serve a third term – meaning Trump could – in theory – be POTUS until 2033 if the proposal was successful and he was successful in the 2028 presidential election.
The existing text of the 22nd Amendment reads: “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.”
Ogles believes that an additional term for Trump is necessary to achieve his vision for the nation.
“President Trump’s decisive leadership stands in stark contrast to the chaos, suffering, and economic decline Americans have endured over the past four years,” Ogles stated in a press release.
“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,” Ogles continued.
“To that end, I am proposing an amendment to the Constitution to revise the limitations imposed by the 22nd Amendment on presidential terms. This amendment would allow President Trump to serve three terms, ensuring that we can sustain the bold leadership our nation so desperately needs.”
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Congressman Ogles added: “In just a few short days, President Trump has already taken action to undo the catastrophic policies of the Biden Administration and put the United States back on the path to strength and prosperity.”
The press release would then heap praise upon Trump’s actions regarding the southern US border crisis, targeting Mexican cartels, and “reaffirming legally that there are only two genders”, among others.
Immediate Changes Under Trump’s New Administration
Within hours of being sworn in, Trump took action by signing several executive orders and memorandums. Among the most notable was the mass pardon of 1,500 individuals either convicted or facing charges related to the January 6, 2021, US Capitol riots.
In a controversial move, Trump also issued a directive defining gender as strictly binary—male and female—claiming it was necessary to “defend women from gender ideology extremism and restore biological truth.”
Within the White House itself, Trump has stated that he is in the process of “identifying and removing over a thousand Presidential Appointees from the previous Administration, who are not aligned with our vision to Make America Great Again”.
Trump also temporarily reversed the TikTok ban, which had taken effect just days before his inauguration. His administration plans to conduct further reviews of the app’s national security implications.
The White House released a statement explaining the decision: “To fulfil those responsibilities, I intend to consult with my advisors, including the heads of relevant departments and agencies on the national security concerns posed by TikTok, and to pursue a resolution that protects national security while saving a platform used by 170 million Americans.
“My Administration must also review sensitive intelligence related to those concerns and evaluate the sufficiency of mitigation measures TikTok has taken to date.”
While Ogles’ proposed amendment faces an uphill battle, it has already ignited a fiery debate about the limits of executive power and the future of the presidency under Trump’s leadership.
