Last week, New York Democratic Rep. Dan Goldman introduced a resolution reaffirming that the 22nd Amendment, which bars individuals from serving more than two presidential terms, applies to president-elect Donald Trump.
Goldman, who served as a lead counsel during one of Trump’s impeachment inquiries, said that the resolution was necessary, especially in light of Trump asking Republicans last week about whether he could serve another term in office.
In a meeting with House Republicans shortly after his presidential election win earlier this month, Trump suggested that Congress could make it possible for him to run again if he desired to do so in 2028.
“I suspect I won’t be running again, unless you do something. Unless you say, ‘He’s so good, we have to just figure it out,'” Trump is said to have stated in the meeting.
This isn’t the first time Trump has quipped about serving a tenure longer than is legally allowed. He made similar remarks during his last presidential term, as well as during his campaign earlier this year.
Reacting to observers questioning whether or not Trump was serious, Republicans were quick to claim that Trump was merely joking about the idea of running again. Some Democrats, including Goldman, did not find the joke very funny.
The 22nd Amendment of the U.S. Constitution states that “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.” The measure was passed after President Franklin Roosevelt was elected to four terms in office.
In introducing his resolution last week, Goldman explained during an interview that Trump’s statement — joke or not — required a response from lawmakers.
“I’ve been following Donald Trump very closely for the last five years. … I know how he operates,” Goldman said, noting that Trump likes to float “trial balloons that he often claims are jokes” and that he’s “very serious” about the idea of extending his tenure.
“Things start as a joke, then they become normalized, and then he tries to do them,” Goldman added.
The text of his resolution states that the House of Representatives “reaffirms that the Twenty-second Amendment applies to two terms in the aggregate as President of the United States,” and that it “applies to President-elect President Trump.”
In a separate interview, Goldman said that Republicans needed to join with Democrats to pass the resolution, regardless of whether they felt Trump was simply being humorous.
The 22nd Amendment and his resolution are both “very clear,” Goldman said, and it should be “very easy” for Republicans to vote favorably for the measure.
“Any attempt by Donald Trump to do so is blatantly unconstitutional, and I call on my colleagues — D or R — to stand by their oath to defend the Constitution,” Goldman wrote in a social media post.
Help us Prepare for Trump’s Day One
Trump is busy getting ready for Day One of his presidency – but so is Truthout.
Trump has made it no secret that he is planning a demolition-style attack on both specific communities and democracy as a whole, beginning on his first day in office. With over 25 executive orders and directives queued up for January 20, he’s promised to “launch the largest deportation program in American history,” roll back anti-discrimination protections for transgender students, and implement a “drill, drill, drill” approach to ramp up oil and gas extraction.
Organizations like Truthout are also being threatened by legislation like HR 9495, the “nonprofit killer bill” that would allow the Treasury Secretary to declare any nonprofit a “terrorist-supporting organization” and strip its tax-exempt status without due process. Progressive media like Truthout that has courageously focused on reporting on Israel’s genocide in Gaza are in the bill’s crosshairs.
As journalists, we have a responsibility to look at hard realities and communicate them to you. We hope that you, like us, can use this information to prepare for what’s to come.
And if you feel uncertain about what to do in the face of a second Trump administration, we invite you to be an indispensable part of Truthout’s preparations.
In addition to covering the widespread onslaught of draconian policy, we’re shoring up our resources for what might come next for progressive media: bad-faith lawsuits from far-right ghouls, legislation that seeks to strip us of our ability to receive tax-deductible donations, and further throttling of our reach on social media platforms owned by Trump’s sycophants.
We’re preparing right now for Trump’s Day One: building a brave coalition of movement media; reaching out to the activists, academics, and thinkers we trust to shine a light on the inner workings of authoritarianism; and planning to use journalism as a tool to equip movements to protect the people, lands, and principles most vulnerable to Trump’s destruction.
We urgently need your help to prepare. As you know, our December fundraiser is our most important of the year and will determine the scale of work we’ll be able to do in 2025. We’ve set two goals: to raise $115,000 in one-time donations and to add 1365 new monthly donors by midnight on December 31.
Today, we’re asking all of our readers to start a monthly donation or make a one-time donation – as a commitment to stand with us on day one of Trump’s presidency, and every day after that, as we produce journalism that combats authoritarianism, censorship, injustice, and misinformation. You’re an essential part of our future – please join the movement by making a tax-deductible donation today.
If you have the means to make a substantial gift, please dig deep during this critical time!
With gratitude and resolve,
Maya, Negin, Saima, and Ziggy