Presidential term limits and the 22nd Amendment

President Donald Trump has been toying with the idea of running for a third term since before his second presidential term began in 2025. On numerous occasions, Trump and political allies have floated the idea of a third Trump term, despite the 22nd Amendment explicitly prohibiting  Trump—or anyone else—from being elected as president more than twice.

The 22nd Amendment limits a person to being elected to the presidency twice and sets the eligibility requirements for presidents who succeed to the presidency. Between 1947 and 1951, 41 state legislatures overwhelmingly ratified the 22nd Amendment, and it officially came into effect after 36 of the then-48 states ratified it in February 1951.  These ratifying states represented every region of the country and the measures were often passed with bipartisan support.

President Trump’s recent comment that it is “pretty clear” he is not allowed to run again does not overshadow his repeated threats to seek a third term in office, and CREW will continue to track the administration’s comments and actions regarding the 22nd Amendment or a potential third Trump term. CREW has filed FOIA requests and researched the history of the 22nd Amendment’s ratification in the states, and is committed to holding the administration accountable to the Constitution. Below is a compilation of CREW’s work on the 22nd Amendment: