I know a US president cannot have more than 2 consecutive terms. Can Obama run against Trump when Trump tries for a second term?
Answers (1)
The 22nd amendment limits the number of terms without referring to sequence (although that may have been the original intent).
So no.
Amendment XXII
Section 1.
No 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. But this article shall not apply to any person holding the office of President when this article was proposed by the Congress, and shall not prevent any person who may be holding the office of President, or acting as President, during the term within which this article becomes operative from holding the office of President or acting as President during the remainder of such term.
Section 2.
This article shall be inoperative unless it shall have been ratified as an amendment to the Constitution by the legislatures of three-fourths of the several states within seven years from the date of its submission to the states by the Congress.
Thank you for your answer. The authors really covered everything they could think of in terms of situations.
On a practical level, my understanding is the following:
Example: Past-President Obama could not run again, but Michelle Obama could run but not with P.P. Obama as a Vice-President. However, if her Vice-President became unable to serve, technically, she could appoint P.P. Obama to serve as V-P until the end of that term.
Alternately, she could be elected President with the ability to appoint him to any other leadership position not requiring a vote or be elected as a member of Congress.
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Canadian students don't study the U.S. Constitution any more than U.S. students study ours.