"If one man is indispensable, then none of us is free."
Wendell Willkie - Republican candidate, campaigning against FDR's third term, 194001The Two-Term Tradition
For 144 years, an unwritten rule governed American democracy - until one man broke it
"The second feature I dislike, and greatly dislike, is the abandonment in every instance of the necessity of rotation in office, and most particularly in the case of the President. Reason and Experience tell us that the First magistrate will always be re-elected if he may be re-elected. He is then an officer for life."
Thomas Jefferson - Letter to James Madison, December 20, 1787
George Washington
1st President, 1789–1797
Set Precedent
Washington established the two-term tradition by declining a third term in 1796. In 1799, urged to run again, he cited toxic partisanship.
"The line between Parties has become so clearly drawn that politicians regard neither truth nor decency..."
Ulysses S. Grant
18th President, 1869–1877
Sought Nomination
Grant sought the 1880 Republican nomination for a third (non-consecutive) term. He led on each of the first 35 convention ballots but never reached a majority, and the convention nominated James Garfield on the 36th.
The House passed a resolution declaring Washington's precedent "a part of our republican system of government."
Theodore Roosevelt
26th President, 1901–1909
Ran (Lost)
After declining in 1908, TR challenged Taft in 1912 as a Bull Moose candidate. Shot during the campaign, he still beat Taft but split the GOP vote.
He "insisted that he was running out of duty, not personal ambition."
Franklin D. Roosevelt
32nd President, 1933–1945
Won 4 Terms
FDR is the only president elected more than twice. Amid the Depression and WWII, he argued America shouldn't "change horses in midstream."
"This is no ordinary time, no time for weighing anything except what we can best do for the country." - Eleanor Roosevelt, 1940
FDR's Four Presidential Elections
FDR Electoral Votes (Democrat)Opponent (Republican)
The 22nd Amendment
Section 1No 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...
March 21, 1947Passed Congress
Feb. 27, 1951Ratified
36 of 48States Required
MA & OKRejected By
Truman went before a Senate Judiciary subcommittee on May 4, 1959 to argue for repealing the 22nd Amendment.
Harry S. Truman (D) - After leaving office (Truman Library photo record 93-296)02Presidents vs. The Amendment
Multiple presidents from both parties have criticized the 22nd Amendment
Reagan said he would work for repeal of the 22nd Amendment after leaving office, arguing it infringed on voters' democratic right to choose.
Ronald Reagan (R) - A few days before leaving office, January 1989 (paraphrase)Clinton said the 22nd Amendment should be changed to limit presidents to two consecutive terms while allowing a later non-consecutive term, because of longer life expectancies.
Bill Clinton (D) - Rolling Stone interview, November 2000 (paraphrase)Presidents Barred by the 22nd Amendment
RepublicanDemocrat
Final Approval Rating (%)
0354+ Attempts to Repeal
Members of both parties have tried - and failed - to repeal the 22nd Amendment
Republican Attempts
- Rep. Guy Vander Jagt (R-MI) - 1986-91During Reagan's presidency
- Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY) - 1995During Clinton's presidency
- Rep. Andy Ogles (R-TN) - Jan 2025For non-consecutive presidents
Democratic Attempts
- Sen. Harry Reid (D-NV) - 1989During G.H.W. Bush's presidency
- Rep. Barney Frank (D-MA) - 1995-99During Clinton's presidency
- Rep. José Serrano (D-NY) - 1997-2013Nine attempts under 3 presidents!
| Year | Sponsor | Party | Sitting President | Result |
|---|
| 1986 |
Rep. Guy Vander Jagt |
R |
Reagan (R) |
Failed |
| 1989 |
Sen. Harry Reid |
D |
G.H.W. Bush (R) |
Failed |
| 1995 |
Sen. Mitch McConnell |
R |
Clinton (D) |
Failed |
| 1997–2013 |
Rep. José Serrano (9×) |
D |
Clinton, Bush, Obama |
All Failed |
| 2025 |
Rep. Andy Ogles |
R |
Trump (R) |
Pending in committee (no action as of October 2026) |
Why Repeal Never Succeeds
Repeal takes a new amendment under Article V. It must be proposed either by two-thirds of both the House and the Senate or by a convention called at the request of two-thirds of the state legislatures (a route never used), and then ratified by three-fourths of the states (38 of 50), through their legislatures or state ratifying conventions as Congress chooses. A repeal bill introduced in Congress is only the first step of the first route. Because a repeal could help whichever party holds the White House, the other party has little reason to supply the votes. The only amendment ever repealed - Prohibition - required another full amendment (the 21st) to do so, ratified by state conventions.
04Complete Timeline
| 1796 |
Precedent
Washington Declines Third Term
George Washington retires after two terms, establishing the unwritten tradition.
|
| 1880 |
Sought
Grant's Failed Comeback
Ulysses Grant seeks a third non-consecutive term but loses the nomination to Garfield.
|
| 1912 |
Ran
Teddy's Bull Moose Run
Theodore Roosevelt runs as a third-party candidate, splitting the Republican vote.
|
| 1940 |
Won
FDR Breaks the Rule
Franklin Roosevelt becomes the first president elected to a third term.
|
| 1947 |
Amendment
Congress Passes 22nd Amendment
Republican-controlled Congress approves term limits unanimously among GOP members.
|
| 1951 |
Ratified
Amendment Becomes Law
Minnesota becomes the 36th state to ratify. Presidential term limits take effect.
|
1986–
2025 |
Repeal
54+ Repeal Attempts
Members of both parties introduce repeal bills. None have ever reached a floor vote.
|
2025-
2026 |
Debate
Trump Third-Term Talk
In a March 30, 2025 NBC News interview, President Trump said "a lot of people want me to do it," that he was "not joking" and that "there are methods" for a third term. In late October 2025 he told reporters he was "not allowed to run" again, adding "it's too bad" (AP/PBS NewsHour, October 28, 2025). At a midterm rally in Sioux City, Iowa on October 22, 2026, he said "I think the law says that I'm not allowed to run again," then added "I think I have the right to run again," repeating his claim that the 2020 election was stolen from him; reporters also quoted him calling the 22nd Amendment "quite concise" with "not a lot of wiggle room" (Newsweek, October 23, 2026; NJ.com, October 25, 2026). Rep. Andy Ogles' January 2025 resolution to allow a third term for a president with non-consecutive terms has seen no committee action as of October 2026.
|
The Third Term Question: A Visual History of Presidential Term Limits
Sources: National Constitution Center, Library of Congress, Congressional Research Service, National Archives, GovTrack.us
