I hope the featured GIF doesn’t make anyone dizzy. It comes from a WNYC public radio series about the Constitution. It tries to demystify it by making it more accessible to lay people. I’m a lapsed lawyer not a lay dude, but what’s not to love about George Washington in shades trash talking Franklin Roosevelt? It’s an acronym standoff between GW and FDR.
I almost called this post 22nd Amendment chatter but I was afraid nobody would get it. The 22nd Amendment limiting presidents to two terms was pushed through Congress by Republicans tired of losing elections to FDR. It was ratified in 1951. By 1960, they regretted it: Richard Nixon nearly won a de facto third Eisenhower term against a more popular candidate. The odds are that Ike would have triumphed if he had been on the ballot.
Talk of repealing the 22nd Amendment reemerged during the second Reagan term, but he downplayed the idea; a wise choice given his faltering health. It was pitched by some of the most fervent Reaganites, but they hoped to do it legally, a concept alien to Team MAGA. They’re looking for loopholes that will keep the Kaiser of Chaos on his throne indefinitely.
Speaker Yellowbelly has thrown cold water on the third term notion saying, “there’s no path.” It’s a rare example of Mike Johnson acting in his self-interest: chatter about an unpopular president staying on helps Democrats in 2026. If he loses his majority, Speaker Yellowbelly will be forced to slither out of office by the Freedom Caucus fucks. Holy, snake on snake violence, Batman.
What happens if the Insult Comedian snaps his fingers and orders Johnson to support a third term? He’ll be a good boy and fall in line. He’s only held the Speakership this long because he’s a sycophant. Yes men gotta say yes.
The text of the 22nd amendment seems to exclude loopholes:
“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. But this Article shall not apply to any person holding the office of President when this Article was proposed by the Congress, and shall not prevent any person who may be holding the office of President, or acting as President, during the term within which this Article becomes operative from holding the office of President or acting as President during the remainder of such term.”
Sounds ironclad. And the amendment process is lengthy. The Kaiser of Chaos is aware that he can’t stay in office via the amendment process but he’s legendarily litigious, so that’s where the action, if any, would occur.
The last stop for constitutional litigation is the corrupt MAGA SCOTUS. They’re capable of buying a loophole argument that the 22nd Amendment doesn’t apply to presidents serving non-consecutive terms. Why not? They’ve already disgraced themselves with the immunity decision. Thanks again, Chief Justice Roberts.
Is the third term chatter just another distraction from the Epstein files and other scandals? In part, but more than one thing can be true. A reminder that this is a president who tried to stay in office via insurrection in 2021 and still maintains he defeated Joe Biden. The Kaiser of Chaos wrongly believes that his word *is* the law. In the immortal words of Bela Lugosi:
Steve Bannon claims there’s a third term plan afoot. MAGA’s dream of a Trump third term is America’s nightmare. It’s also illegal but when did that ever stop them?
Stay tuned.
The last word goes to Jethro Tull:
