To serve a third term, Trump would have to defy the Constitution
President Donald Trump has been musing about a third term again. It’s clear he can’t run or be elected to one. But there are a few theories floating around about how he could legally end up president again. Most rely on the 22nd Amendment’s language barring a third “election,” and not explicitly saying a president can’t serve a third term.
But one top constitutional law scholar told Democracy Docket that in the current environment, a bigger threat than pseudo-clever language games may be that the relevant actors don’t enforce the law.
Why Wisconsin’s election result is a win for democracy
Liberal judge Susan Crawford defeated GOP-backed Brad Schimel for a seat on the Wisconsin Supreme Court. Crawford’s win suggests that, despite Elon Musk’s multi-million dollar investment, people can still speak louder than money.
Did Musk’s presence in Wisconsin impact the race? Marc spoke with Never-Trumper Sarah Longwell earlier this year about how Musk is a growing liability for the GOP.
Standing against Trump
Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) broke the record yesterday for the longest Senate floor speech in protest of Trump and Musk, passing former Sen. Strom Thurmond's 24-hour-plus filibuster of the Civil Rights Act of 1957.
“Booker was not killing time merely to inconvenience others; he was using the time to persuade an audience,” Marc wrote in a new piece. “That is why his speech became so captivating and why millions tuned in to watch. He was not wasting our time or his. He was using it efficiently and effectively to sound an alarm that too few have heard.”
Such actions are creating the basis for strong opposition in the months and years to come. “As we know, this is a long battle and it began in defeat,” Democracy Docket guest author Tom Watson wrote. “There’s reason for long-term optimism even as we know there is no short-term magical victory. And the biggest reason is the most obvious: people are finding their voices. Please use yours.”
Trump administration stopped from firing some federal workers
Republicans appeal Pennsylvania handwritten date ruling
Monday, a federal judge ruled that a Pennsylvania law requiring counties to reject undated or wrongly dated mail-in ballots was unconstitutional, and these ballots must be counted. Today, the RNC appealed this ruling, continuing a concerted, years-long effort to disenfranchise mail voters for mistakes or omissions.
