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Trump Judicial Nominee Declines to Say Constitution Bars a Third Presidential Term

The evasive answer fueled concern about fidelity to the 22nd Amendment's plain text.

Overview

  • John George Edward Marck, nominated to be a federal judge in Texas, told senators at his confirmation hearing that he would need to review the Constitution before saying if a third term is barred.
  • When Sen. Chris Coons asked the other nominees to affirm the two-term limit, the room stayed silent.
  • The 22nd Amendment says no person shall be elected president more than twice, and it speaks to elections to the presidency rather than eligibility for the vice presidency.
  • Public figures on X, including Adam Kinzinger, Tara Setmayer, and Nick Bryant, condemned the nonanswer as a refusal to acknowledge a clear limit.
  • Marck’s nomination remains before the Senate Judiciary Committee, and the exchange gained weight as Trump has teased another run that legal scholars say the amendment forbids.