Tag: Presidential Term

What About That Third Term?

There has been way too much to do about Trump’s insistence that he is good for a third term as president…..recently in an interview on one of those propaganda sites that pretend to bring us the news he, Donny, said that he was not joking about a third term….or possibly longer.

President Trump told NBC News over the weekend he was “not joking” about considering a third term because a lot of people want him to do it. And when asked about the issue later aboard Air Force One, Trump added, “We have a long way to go before we even think about that, but I’ve had a lot of people (asking me).” So how serious is all this? A few takes:

  • “When Trump entertained questions on his plane about a third term, he had a faint smirk on his face, indicating that the idea hasn’t fully progressed from the joke phase into a plan of action,” writes Jonathan Chait at the Atlantic. “Trump has always understood questions about his abuses of power as a kind of compliment,” he adds. “The prospect of smashing imagined limits on his power gives him an obvious thrill. He is probing, exploring. And when he finds softness, as he so often does when he presses against a supposed boundary, he presses on.”
  • The right-wing site Twitchy is reveling in all this because of the widespread coverage of Trump’s comments in the mainstream media. These outlets “clearly cannot see when President Trump is having fun at their expense,” reads the post. “Because they are just that dumb.”
  • Pretty much every story takes note of the 22nd Amendment, which stipulates that “No person shall be elected to the office of the President more than twice.” But Trump told NBC there might be ways around that, and entertained Meet the Press host Kristen Welker’s idea of running as JD Vance’s vice president, then having Vance resign. For the record, constitutional scholars say that’s a no-go, per the BBC. “I don’t think there’s any ‘one weird trick’ to getting around presidential term limits,” says Derek Muller, an election law professor at the University of Notre Dame, referencing the 22nd Amendment as well.
  • As the debate continues on how serious Trump is about all this, his allies are busy. GOP Rep. Andy Ogles has proposed a change to the Constitution to make Trump eligible because of his non-consecutive terms, notes the New York Times, and Steve Bannon continues to trumpet the idea. Asked by NewsNation’s Chris Cuomo last month how they could get around the Constitution, Bannon said, “We’re working on it,” per Axios.

Personally I believe he is dead serious on his claim…..but for those that relish the idea here is a bit of facts for you….

Lets Look at the Constitution (remember that document?)

On the face of it, the US Constitution seems to rule out anyone having a third term. The 22nd Amendment states:

“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.”

Changing the constitution would require a two-thirds approval from both the Senate and the House of Representatives, as well as approval from three-quarters of the country’s state-level governments.

Trump’s Republican Party controls both chambers of Congress but does not have the majorities needed. Additionally, the Democratic Party controls 18 of the 50 state legislatures.

But with all this constitutional law stuff just how could Donny pull this off?

With all this constitutional law stuff just how could Donny pull this off?

Trump supporters say there is a loophole in the constitution, untested in court.

They argue that the 22nd Amendment only explicitly bans someone being “elected” to more than two presidential terms – and says nothing of “succession”.

Under this theory, Trump could be the vice-presidential running-mate to another candidate – perhaps his own vice-president, JD Vance – in the 2028 election.

If they win, the candidate could be sworn into the White House and then immediately resign – letting Trump take over by succession.

Steve Bannon, the podcaster and prominent former Trump adviser, said he believed Trump would “run and win again”, adding there were “a couple of alternatives” in determining how.

Andy Ogles, a Tennessee Republican in the House of Representatives, introduced a resolution in January calling for a constitutional amendment to allow a president to serve up to three terms – as long as they were not consecutive.

This would mean that only Trump of all living presidents would be eligible – Barack Obama, Bill Clinton and George W Bush all served consecutive terms, whereas Trump won in 2016, lost in 2020, and won again in 2024.

However, the high bar for constitutional amendments makes Ogles’ proposal a pipe dream – although it got people talking.

Legal scholars (I know how much most MAGA dolts hate those guys) have to say about the very idea.

Derek Muller, an election law professor at the University of Notre Dame, said the Constitution’s 12th Amendment says “no person constitutionally ineligible to the office of president shall be eligible to that of vice-president of the United States”.

That means serving two terms in office disqualifies anyone from running as a vice-presidential candidate, in his view.

“I don’t think there’s any ‘one weird trick’ to getting around presidential term limits,” he said.

Jeremy Paul, a constitutional law professor at Boston’s Northeastern University, told CBS New there were “no credible legal arguments” for a third term.

It was the Congress that was so against the multiple terms of FDR that they added an amendment but now that some half-wit is their guy they have changed their tune.

All that said is there a loophole Donny can exploit?

The path for Trump to serve a third and potential fourth term as president until January 2037, at 90 years old, is a very real possibility.

It hinges solely on the interpretation of “election” in the 22nd Amendment and the loyalty of Vice President J.D. Vance.

The VP could choose to have Trump as his vice president in the 2028 election and, after winning the election, announce he resigns as soon as he’s sworn in.

This loophole also requires Trump to remain popular enough to win another two election cycles.  (probably not going to happen)

The text of the full 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.”

It was ratified into the Constitution in 1951 and was a direct response to Franklin D. Roosevelt winning four consecutive elections during World War 2.

https://knewz.com/how-a-simple-constitution-loophole-could-doom-u-s-to-a-trump-presidency-until-2037/

I do not think that Donny will prevail in this pipe dream….but under his boot anything could be possible.

Thoughts?

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

President For Life?

With our election just mere months away you might think this is a post about the wishes of Donald the Orange……you would be mistaken.

Or may be it will be about that mad man in Russia Vlad the Invader, Putin….once again you will be wrong.

No this post will be about Ukraine and Zelensky.

You mean that democracy in Eastern Europe that we are helping ward off an invader?

First of all….what democracy?

Does this sound like a democracy?

Opposition parties banned

Opposition leaders arrested

Opposition papers closed down

Elections cancelled

To me it does not….but you decide

But why ask about president for life?

Ukrainian President Volodomyr Zelenky’s term expired on Monday, but he will remain in power since presidential elections scheduled in March were canceled due to martial law imposed since Russia invaded in February 2022.

While framing the proxy war in Ukraine as a battle for democracy, the US has backed Zelensky’s decision not to hold elections. Secretary of State Antony Blinken visited Ukraine last week and claimed the US helped build “democratic pillars,” including “free and fair elections,” but said a vote could only happen once “conditions” are right.

Zelensky also canceled parliamentary elections that were supposed to be held last October. To justify the decision, Ukrainian officials have pointed to Ukraine’s constitution, which says elections can’t be held under martial law. But Zelensky previously made it clear that he could have held elections if he wanted.

Last year, Zelensky told Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) that he was willing to hold a vote if the West paid for it and if legislators agreed to amend the constitution. “I will not take money from weapons and give it to elections,” he said.

But Zelensky later ruled out the idea and was not put under pressure by the US or other NATO countries to hold a vote. The Ukrainian leader is determined to continue the war and has rejected the idea of diplomacy with Russia despite not having a chance at victory and growing war fatigue among Ukrainians.

I know….I know….there is a war and some sort of concessions must be made.

So basically Zelensky will remain president until this conflict is settled and that could take a very long time indeed.

His seat in the power chair remains firmly attached to his ass and the cash will follow through him.

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

The Next President

Back in June I did a post on what the next president would be facing, unfortunately I was mistaken in some areas for the economy had not gone into the toilet yet.

November 4th, the next president will be chosen by the American people (actually the electoral college, but believe what you will) and he will immediately be confronted with a wealth of problems that need immediate attention.

He will face 2 wars, the worst economy since 1930, a growing deficit, job losses, energy independence, a crumbling infrastructure and the list goes on and on, those were the immediate problems that must be faced.

US President George W. Bush’s successor inherits a world of troubles come January, including wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, a defiant Iran, and a US economy battered by the global financial crisis.

The new president will take the reins of a limping superpower facing deep doubts overseas about the limits of its strength, and sharply diminished US standing even among Washington’s closest friends, recent studies find.

If these cannot be handled and handled quickly, then our next president will most likely be a ONE term president.  He will be held responsible for everything that occurs within those 4 years, no matter where they originated.

Now the question will be, will the Congress work with the new president or will they just be a hinderance?  Will a democratic Congress be willing to change things?  Or will they like the status quo?  IMO, there are a lot of “Blue Dog” Democrats in the Congress, I do not see them helping the Obama presidency much.

“America’s moral leadership and decision-making competence will continue to be questioned at home and abroad, despite the arrival of new leadership in Washington,” a Georgetown University working group said earlier this year.

Bush leaves a mountain of unfinished business. Barring perhaps unimaginable breakthroughs, it will fall to one of his successors to end the US presence in Iraq and Afghanistan, herald the end of nuclear programs in Iran and North Korea, and celebrate a lasting peace deal in the Middle East.

And the next president will certainly inherit a grim economy — the White House this week predicted a sharp rise in unemployment, while some private-sector forecasts warn of a trillion-dollar budget deficit in 2009.

The new president will likely face difficult decisions on Iraq. Recent US public opinion polls reveal new optimism amid decreased violence there, but most Americans still want US troops to come home as soon as possible.

The new president will also inherit Iran’s defiance of international pressure over its suspect nuclear program and a fragile six-country deal making ginger progress towards ending North Korea’s atomic weapons ambitions.

Other headaches include Washington’s chilly ties with Moscow — their worst since the Cold War — as well as relations with Pakistan which have tensed over suspected US strikes at extremists along the border with Afghanistan.