The 22nd Amendment clearly states that no person can be elected for a third term as president—including Donald Trump. Donate to CREW today to help us enforce it and stop Trump’s potential power grab →

Sorry to be blunt, John—but this moment demands it.

It’s been almost a year since Donald Trump took office for the second time, and since then, he and his allies have repeatedly suggested he may attempt to seek a third term as president.

Steve Bannon, one of Trump’s former White House advisors, told The Economist that Trump is going to “get a third term” and that people “just ought to get accommodated with that.”

He’s even said, “You can drive a Mack Truck through the 22nd Amendment—and that's exactly what I intend to do in order to save our country." And he’s reportedly working with Alan Dershowitz, another Trump ally, on a book about how Trump could run again.

The Trump Organization is even selling “Trump 2028” merchandise, including hats, which the president displays near the Oval Office.

John, this isn’t a joke. This is not idle talk. It’s a pressure campaign. And it’s meant to normalize something that is plainly unconstitutional.

But here’s the truth they don’t get to rewrite: The 22nd Amendment is crystal clear. No person may be elected president more than twice. Not Donald Trump. Not anyone.

The Constitution is not up for debate. Term limits are not optional. And presidents are not kings.

CREW is fighting back—in court, in public and everywhere it matters—to enforce the Constitution and hold Trump accountable for his attempts to evade presidential term limits. Help us continue this work by making a donation today to support CREW →

Although the president and his allies have repeatedly tried to muddy the waters over the last year, the 22nd Amendment and the historical record of its ratification are clear. We recently published an analysis in Just Security, laying it all out.

The 22nd Amendment ended a 150-year debate over presidential term limits. It states very clearly: "No person shall be elected to the office of the President more than twice."

The amendment was passed by a supermajority vote in Congress. It was ratified by 41 state legislatures and officially came into effect after 36 of the then 48 states ratified the amendment in February 1951.

Support was overwhelming across the 41 state legislatures that ratified the amendment. These ratifying states represented every region of the country and the bill often passed with bipartisan support.

Debates in state legislatures around the ratification show that the officials who made this decision did so not only with consideration of many arguments we hear currently about presidential term limits, but also with direct experience of the alternative, in the aftermath of World War II, which was fought to beat back the tide of authoritarianism.

Despite the history and support behind the amendment, Trump thinks the Constitution and presidential term limits are negotiable.

It’s important to remind him and his allies that the 22nd Amendment exists for a reason: to prevent our democracy from slipping into a monarchy.

To violate the 22nd Amendment would be to discard the wisdom of those who sought to preserve our democracy against the last rising tide of authoritarianism, and who foresaw the possibility we now find ourselves in.

CREW is committed to holding Trump accountable to the Constitution he swore an oath to uphold and to protect our democracy. Our work is made possible by the support of people like you who believe in our mission for an ethical and accountable government. So if you can, please donate today to help us keep up this work →

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Thank you,

Donald Sherman
Executive Director and Chief Counsel
CREW