President Donald Trump ignited fresh discussion about presidential term limits during a White House Black History Month reception on Thursday, February 20, 2025, by suggesting seeking a third term despite explicit constitutional prohibitions against such action.
“Should I run again? You tell me?” Trump asked the crowd assembled in the East Room of the White House. As supporters responded with enthusiastic chants of “four more years,” Trump acknowledged the controversial nature of his suggestion, stating, “There’s your controversy right there.” He laughed as he predicted the clip would be featured on evening newscasts.
The president’s latest comments about extending his time in office come as Representative Andy Ogles (R-Tenn.) has introduced a resolution in the House of Representatives that would amend the Constitution specifically to allow Trump and future presidents, to seek another term. When introducing the measure, Ogles made the case that Trump is the only leader in recent history who can stop the country’s decline and bring it back to greatness, arguing that he needs enough time to see that mission through. However, the resolution faces steep odds—it would require a two-thirds majority in the House and Senate before even making it to the states, where three-fourths would have to approve it to take effect.
Constitutional scholars and legal experts emphasize that the 22nd Amendment leaves no room for interpretation regarding presidential term limits. The amendment explicitly 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.”
Trump’s recurring suggestions about serving beyond two terms have drawn sharp criticism from Democratic lawmakers. Representative Dan Goldman expressed concern that Trump’s pattern of “joking” about unconstitutional or authoritarian ideas eventually becomes accepted doctrine among his supporters. Goldman warned that such proposals, even when presented in jest, could undermine democratic norms.
Legal experts have identified several theoretical approaches that Trump or his allies might consider to extend his presidency: formally amending the Constitution, exploiting perceived loopholes in the 22nd Amendment, or challenging its interpretation in court. However, these pathways face substantial legal and political barriers that make them unlikely to succeed. State officials and courts would likely prevent any attempt to place Trump on a ballot for a third term.
The history of presidential term limits in the United States traces back to George Washington’s deliberate choice to step down after two terms, establishing a precedent that went largely unchallenged for over 140 years. This tradition held until Franklin D. Roosevelt won four consecutive terms during the combined crises of the Great Depression and World War II. Roosevelt’s extended presidency led directly to ratifying the 22nd Amendment in 1951, formally establishing the two-term limit that remains in place today.
Trump, who would be 78 years old at the start of a potential third term, has commented similarly about extending his presidency during recent meetings with House Republicans. By serving two non-consecutive terms, Trump has already achieved a rare distinction in American presidential history, joining Grover Cleveland as only the second president to do so.
During the Black History Month reception, where he raised the third-term possibility, Trump also criticized the Biden administration’s approach to historical education, specifically opposing what he characterized as an attempt to “reduce all of American history to a single year: 1619.” This refers to The 1619 Project.
The 1619 Project is a long-form journalism initiative by “The New York Times Magazine,” launched in August 2019 to mark the 400th anniversary of the arrival of the first enslaved Africans in colonial America. The project, created by journalist Nikole Hannah-Jones, aimed to reframe U.S. history by placing slavery and its lasting consequences at the center of the national narrative.
The Black History Month event highlighted ongoing tensions over diversity and inclusion initiatives, as Trump defended his administration’s executive orders targeting such programs in government agencies and other institutions.
