You've probably heard it in a heated political debate or saw it floating around on a social media thread. Someone insists that a popular leader should just stay in office. "Why can't they just keep going?" they ask. Well, if we are talking about the United States, the answer to can a president run three times is a pretty hard "no." But, honestly, it hasn't always been that way.
The rules we live by today weren't actually written into the original Constitution. For over 140 years, the "two-term limit" was more of a gentleman’s agreement than a legal requirement. It took a massive shift in the mid-20th century to turn that tradition into a law that even the most popular politician can't bypass.
The ghost of George Washington and the two-term habit
George Washington was tired. After leading the Continental Army and then serving two terms as the first president, he just wanted to go home to Mount Vernon. By stepping down in 1797, he accidentally set a massive precedent. He didn't want to be a king. He wanted to show that the office was bigger than the man.
For over a century, every single president followed his lead. Some, like Ulysses S. Grant or Theodore Roosevelt, tried to get a third term later on, but the public—and their own parties—weren't really having it. It felt un-American. It felt like royalty. Then came 1940.
Franklin Delano Roosevelt (FDR) looked at the world and saw it on fire. The Great Depression was still lingering, and World War II was exploding across Europe. He decided the country needed stability. He ran for a third term and won. Then he ran for a fourth and won that, too. He died in office shortly after his fourth inauguration.
Republicans—and even many Democrats—were spooked. They worried that if a president stayed in power for 12 or 16 years, the executive branch would become way too powerful. Basically, they didn't want a "President for Life." So, they got to work on what would become the 22nd Amendment.
📖 Related: Trump New Gun Laws: What Most People Get Wrong
Breaking down the 22nd Amendment: The fine print
Ratified in 1951, the 22nd Amendment is the literal wall that stops anyone from asking can a president run three times with a "yes." It’s actually pretty short. It says: "No person shall be elected to the office of the President more than twice."
But there is a weird little loophole people always forget. What if a Vice President takes over because the President dies?
If that Vice President serves more than two years of the previous guy's term, they can only be elected once on their own. If they serve two years or less, they can still run for two full terms of their own. This means the absolute maximum anyone could technically be president today is ten years. Total. Not a day more.
- The 10-Year Rule: Lyndon B. Johnson is the perfect example. He took over after JFK was assassinated. Since there were less than two years left in Kennedy's term, LBJ could have technically served his own two full terms. He chose not to run again in 1968, but legally, he had the green light.
- The "Elected" Nuance: Notice the wording—"elected." Some legal scholars have spent way too much time debating if a former two-term president could be someone’s Vice President and then "inherit" the presidency. Most experts, including those at the National Constitution Center, say this is a massive stretch that the Supreme Court would likely shut down immediately.
Why don't we just repeal it?
Every few years, some member of Congress proposes a bill to get rid of the 22nd Amendment. It happened during Reagan’s second term. It happened during Clinton’s. It even happened during Trump’s presidency. The argument is usually the same: "If the people want him, why should the law stop them?"
It’s about democracy, they say.
👉 See also: Why Every Tornado Warning MN Now Live Alert Demands Your Immediate Attention
But it never goes anywhere. Amending the Constitution is incredibly hard. You need a two-thirds vote in both the House and the Senate, and then three-fourths of all states have to agree. In our current political climate? That’s basically impossible. Plus, most people actually like the limit. It forces "new blood" into the system and prevents the kind of stagnant leadership you see in some parliamentary systems where a Prime Minister might stay for 20 years.
The "What If" scenarios that confuse everyone
Let's look at some real-world confusion.
When Barack Obama was finishing his second term, some people joked about him running again. He couldn't. Even if he took a four-year break, he is barred for life. Once you have been elected twice, you are done. Period.
Compare this to other countries. In Russia, Vladimir Putin famously "reset" his term limits through constitutional changes. In the UK, there are no term limits for Prime Ministers at all. Margaret Thatcher served for 11 years; Tony Blair for 10. But the U.S. system is built on the fear of concentrated power. We prefer the "churn."
Could a president run for a third term if they lost their second?
This is a common question. If a president serves one term, loses the next election, and then wants to come back—can a president run three times in that scenario?
✨ Don't miss: Brian Walshe Trial Date: What Really Happened with the Verdict
Yes, they can run three times, but they can only win twice. Grover Cleveland is the only guy to actually pull this off. He was the 22nd and 24th president. He served from 1885–1889, lost his re-election bid, and then came back to win again in 1893. If a one-term president loses, they are still eligible to run and serve one more time. But the moment that second "Win" box is checked, the door closes forever.
How this affects modern politics
Term limits change the way a president behaves. In their second term, they are a "lame duck." They don't have to worry about re-election, which gives them more freedom to make controversial moves, but it also means Congress starts to ignore them because they know the guy is leaving soon anyway.
If we didn't have these limits, the entire landscape of the 2016, 2020, and 2024 elections would have been unrecognizable. Imagine if Bill Clinton could have run in 2000 or if George W. Bush could have tried for a third round in 2008. The 22nd Amendment ensures that no matter how much a base loves their leader, the "expiration date" is non-negotiable.
Actionable insights on presidential eligibility
If you're following the legalities of the executive branch or just trying to settle a bet, keep these hard facts in your back pocket:
- Check the math on "acting" presidents: If you see a VP step up, check the calendar. If they serve more than 24 months of the vacancy, they only get one more shot at the ballot.
- Don't fall for "write-in" myths: A two-term president cannot be a valid write-in candidate. Those votes are legally void because the candidate is ineligible to hold the office.
- Watch the 12th Amendment: This is where the VP talk gets tricky. The 12th Amendment says no person "constitutionally ineligible to the office of President shall be eligible to that of Vice-President." Since a two-term president is ineligible to be president, they likely can't be VP either.
- The State-Level Difference: Remember that this only applies to the Presidency. Many Governors have no term limits, or they have "two terms then a break" rules. Don't confuse state law with the federal Constitution.
The system is designed to be a "revolving door" for a reason. While it might feel frustrating when your favorite candidate has to leave, the 22nd Amendment acts as a structural safety valve, ensuring that the office of the President remains a temporary job, not a lifelong status.