A Tennessee congressman introduced a resolution Thursday evening, January 23, that would amend the U.S. Constitution to allow President Donald Trump to serve a third term in office, while simultaneously advancing separate legislation to authorize Trump to purchase Greenland.
Representative Andy Ogles (R-Tenn.) proposed the constitutional amendment that would permit presidents to serve up to three terms, though not more than two consecutive four-year terms. The resolution aims to modify the 22nd Amendment, which was ratified in 1951 to prevent presidents from serving more than two terms.
In a statement released to the media, Ogles said that Trump stands out as the sole figure in recent history with the ability to halt our nation’s decline and bring back America’s greatness, and he needs the time required to achieve this objective.
Ogles’ resolution specifies that “No person shall be elected to the office of the President more than three times, nor be elected to any additional term after being elected to two consecutive terms.” It also maintains restrictions on those who have served more than two years of another president’s term.
The 22nd Amendment was originally passed by Congress in 1947 following Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s unprecedented four terms in office. Roosevelt died shortly after winning his fourth term in the 1944 election.
The proposed amendment faces significant hurdles, requiring approval from two-thirds of both the House and Senate, followed by ratification from three-fourths of state legislatures. With Republicans holding only a narrow majority in the House and lacking a two-thirds majority in the Senate, the resolution’s path forward appears limited.
Trump had previously made comments about serving a third term during a closed-door speech to House Republicans late last year, though multiple sources who attended the event told Fox News Digital that the then-president-elect was joking.
A week after his victory in the 2024 presidential election, Trump said he couldn’t run for office for a third term unless his supporters took action. He suggested that a future campaign would only be considered if people declared, “He’s so good, we have to just figure it out.”
Earlier this month, Ogles also introduced the “Make Greenland Great Again Act,” which would authorize Trump to enter negotiations with Denmark regarding the purchase of Greenland. “Joe Biden took a blowtorch to our reputation these past four years, and before even taking office, President Trump is telling the world that America First is back. American economic and security interests will no longer take a backseat, and House Republicans are ready to help President Trump deliver for the American people,” Ogles told Fox News Digital.
Trump’s interest in acquiring Greenland stems from its strategic importance for U.S. security and its natural resource wealth, particularly rare earth metals. However, both the governments of Greenland and Denmark have firmly rejected the possibility of such a sale.
Democrats have criticized the amendment proposal, with one member of the House Judiciary Committee calling it “truly pathetic” and stating that “2 terms is enough chaos for any nation to endure.”
The resolution has also divided opinions among Trump supporters, with some preferring to see term limits introduced for Congress instead. Others point out that the change could potentially open the door for other former presidents to serve a third term as well.