July 4, 1776, marked the official start of the American experiment. Finally free from the shackles of Britain, we were able to create a nation founded on democratic principles: a land of freedom and opportunity where all men were created equal and kings did not exist.
To say that these principles have been upheld perfectly since this country’s inception would be a bold-faced lie. But we have strived for them continuously throughout our history, and we have made monumental gains since 1776. If you were to ask any patriotic American about what they love about the country, I’m sure that you’d get some variation of “freedom.” But if we are ruled by kings, we are not a free nation.
George Washington famously refused to serve more than two terms in office, setting a long-standing precedent. After all, if the man deemed the father of our country wouldn’t do it, then why would anyone else?
Franklin Roosevelt was the first and only president to have served longer than two terms, justifying his decision to run for a third term largely with the events of World War II, despite controversy. And he did indeed serve “for life,” dying during his fourth term in office. After his death, Congress and the states voted to pass the 22nd Amendment, which states that “no person shall be elected to the office of the President more than twice.” The message from this was clear: We, as a nation, didn’t want kings.
We are only in the infant stages of President Donald Trump’s second term as president, yet rumors of him running for a third term are circulating. Already, Trump has expressed interest in doing so, according to the Associated Press. And already, his supporters are pursuing methods to make this happen through the Third Term Project. Recently, Andy Ogles, a Republican representative, proposed an amendment that would allow someone to serve three terms, provided that they aren’t consecutive. This is clearly geared toward giving Trump a third term.
Knowing the history of this country, I should have been shocked by this. But I wasn’t. Already, Trump has been proven to be a man who has no qualms about undermining the American democratic process. When he lost re-election to former President Joe Biden in 2020, he complained about the election being rigged, despite having zero evidence to support this claim.
During the 2024 presidential debates, he still refused to acknowledge the 2020 election results.
And then there was the whole Jan. 6 debacle. For the first time in its history, America failed to maintain a peaceful transfer of power from one political party to another. As a result, 57 out of 100 senators voted to impeach Trump on charges of insurrection, falling just 10 votes short of the required 67. Even if you don’t think that Trump was responsible for the events of that day, his refusal to condemn the attacks on the Capitol in the aftermath is just steps away from him saying outright that he supported it. Now, Trump has granted clemency to several of the rioters—including those guilty of extreme violence that injured hundreds and resulted in the death of an officer—according to NPR. It remains clear that he downplays the tragedy that took place that day.
That’s not even to mention the many attacks he has already made on American liberties since the start of his second term. He has spent his first few weeks in government attacking the free press and erasing transparency in government, according to the RSF. Additionally, he has passed numerous executive orders freezing funding that are illegal, according to the Center on Budgets and Policy Priorities. The list goes on and on. When we have a president who has repeatedly threatened and silenced those who don’t support his policies, can we even say that we have a functioning democracy at all?
The point is this: We have a president who has been making moves to consolidate autocratic power by undermining democratic processes and American liberties for a long time now. And clearly, overturning the electoral process is the next move for that. A third term begets a fourth. A fifth. Who knows if Trump will even live that long? But even so, the damage will have been done.
Whether or not Trump should have been eligible for candidacy in the 2024 election is a hotly contested topic. According to NPR, he has been convicted of 34 felonies. And his culpability in the Jan. 6 riots also calls his fitness for office into question. But there can be no doubt that Trump is in no way eligible to serve a third term in office. The words of the 22nd amendment are clear: no more than two terms. Changing the law specifically for one man to consolidate more power is akin to saying that he’s above it. A king.
Still, 2028 is still years away. At the rate things are going, who knows what this country will look like by then? At the very least, I should be able to say with certainty that I will never have to live under another Donald Trump presidency ever again. But I can’t, and that scares me.
