GOP Lawmaker Says Trump Should Get A 3rd Term To 'Reset' The Courts

Newsweek

6 days ago

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A House Republican lawmaker renewed his calls on Thursday for President Donald Trump to serve a third term in office so he can "reset" the courts.
The Context
Republican Representative Andy Ogles of Tennessee has repeatedly pushed for Trump to serve for three terms as president, which is prohibited by the Constitution.
Ogles made headlines in January when he proposed a constitutional amendment that would allow presidents to serve three terms in office, provided they haven't already served out two consecutive terms.
Rep. Andy Ogles, R-Tenn., arrives to the U.S. Capitol before the House passed the budget resolution on Thursday, April 10, 2025.
Rep. Andy Ogles, R-Tenn., arrives to the U.S. Capitol before the House passed the budget resolution on Thursday, April 10, 2025.
Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call via AP Images
What To Know
Ogles on Thursday told Fox Business Network's Maria Bartiromo that Trump should get to serve another term after his current term ends so he can combat what Ogles described as "judicial overreach."
He was referring to a Wednesday ruling from the U.S. Court of International Trade blocking the sweeping global tariffs that the president first announced on April 2, which he dubbed "liberation day."
In a unanimous ruling, the court's three-judge panel said Trump does not have "unbounded authority" to impose the tariffs under an emergency-powers law known as the International Emergency Economic Powers Act of 1977 (IEEPA).
"Enough is enough," Ogles told Bartiromo on Thursday, adding that global leaders "want a deal with the United States" and "understand that they're better off when they have a deal with us than to have these woke activist judges."
One of the judges on the panel is a Trump appointee. The other two were appointed by President Ronald Reagan and President Barack Obama.
"We've seen it all across the spectrum: in the civil, the criminal and, of course, in these international courts," Ogles said, referring to the Court of International Trade, which is a federal court.
"And so I think it's great that Trump is pushing back and fighting back," the Tennessee Republican added. "And quite frankly, I'd love for Trump to have a third term so we can reset these courts and actually have folks who follow the law and the Constitution versus their ideological positions."
The trade court's tariff ruling was the third major legal setback Trump suffered in one day.
Earlier Wednesday, a judge blocked the administration from deporting Columbia University graduate Mahmoud Khalil. Another judge said the White House must reinstate Biden-era programs that allowed migrants with "parole" status to seek work permits and immigration relief in the U.S.
What People Are Saying
Responding to Wednesday's ruling on Trump's tariffs, a White House spokesperson told Newsweek: "These deficits have created a national emergency that has decimated American communities, left our workers behind, and weakened our defense industrial base – facts that the court did not dispute."
They added: "It is not for unelected judges to decide how to properly address a national emergency. President Trump pledged to put America First, and the Administration is committed to using every lever of executive power to address this crisis and restore American Greatness."
Former federal prosecutor Elie Honig said on CNN: "This is a fully legitimate federal court. I should note, this is a 3-0 opinion. The three judges on this court were appointed by President Reagan, President Obama and President Trump, so I don't know where they're getting this coup language from ... This is a huge setback for the Trump administration. As big a deal as the tariffs were, this is as big a deal in the opposite direction. It essentially pauses, for now, rules illegal and unconstitutional almost all of the tariffs that have been put in place."
What Happens Next
Global markets rallied on Thursday morning in response to the trade court's decision. The Trump administration has appealed the ruling and said it could ask the Supreme Court as soon as Friday to step in and halt the trade court's ruling.
If Wednesday's ruling is upheld, the Trump administration could be forced to refund billions of dollars already paid in import duties.
In the meantime, the following tariffs have been put on pause:
The 10 percent global tariffs Trump announced on April 2 targeted nearly every U.S. trading partner.
The 25 percent tariffs Trump imposed on a slew of Canadian and Mexican imports.
The 20 percent tariffs Trump levied against most imports from China.
Trump's tariffs on aluminum, steel and automobile products are still in effect because he did not invoke the IEEPA to impose the duties.