Two term maximum

I understand that in America a President can only serve two terms.

If a Vice-President becomes President due to the current President standing down, or being incapacitated permanently, then would that count as a formal first term so they could only be elected one time, or could they then get more than 8 years as President?

Also, could a 2 term President then become a Vice-president?

@paul-a-roberts said
If a Vice-President becomes President due to the current President standing down, or being incapacitated permanently, then would that count as a formal first term so they could only be elected one time, or could they then get more than 8 years as President?

If it happens then the new President can be President forever and ever.

@divegeester
I learned from a documentary on George Washington that, because he chose to be president for only two terms and he was such a competent president, nobody coming after him should stay more than two terms.

@torunn said
@divegeester
I learned from a documentary on George Washington that, because he chose to be president for only two terms and he was such a competent president, nobody coming after him should stay more than two terms.

FDR was elected for a fourth term
he died before completing his fourth term
the 22nd amendment limits the president to two terms

@lemondrop said
FDR was elected for fourth term

If the documentary had continued, we might have got to the exceptions of that rule. 🙂

@paul-a-roberts said
I understand that in America a President can only serve two terms.

If a Vice-President becomes President due to the current President standing down, or being incapacitated permanently, then would that count as a formal first term so they could only be elected one time, or could they then get more than 8 years as President?

Also, could a 2 term President then become a Vice-president?

There is a theoretical problem with a 2term president becoming VP: for, if his president should die or become incapacitated, then the VP would assume the office of the president for a 3d time. Below is the text of the amendment:

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.

The critical passage seems to be that no one shall be “elected” to the office more than twice, or more than once if he held the office once before (whether through election or other means).

I found the link on VP becoming President, if half or more of the original President's term remains when they take over then it counts as their first term. If less than 2 years remain then it doesn't.

https://constitutioncenter.org/interactive-constitution/amendment/amendment-xxii

@moonbus said
There is a theoretical problem with a 2term president becoming VP: for, if his president should die or become incapacitated, then the VP would assume the office of the president for a 3d time. Below is the text of the amendment:

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 ...[text shortened]... wice, or more than once if he held the office once before (whether through election or other means).

Reading more, it seems that the 12th amendment could bar two term Presidents from being in the VP spot, or anyway high up in the ascendancy, so head of either house etc.

@paul-a-roberts said
Reading more, it seems that the 12th amendment could bar two term Presidents from being in the VP spot, or anyway high up in the ascendancy, so head of either house etc.

The way I understand succession to office is that if the next person in the line is ineligible to hold the office, for any reason, then succession would merely skip over them to the next eligible person in line.

Let’s hope it’s Kamala.

@divegeester said
Let’s hope it’s Kamala.

Let's hope what is Kamala?

@suzianne said
The way I understand succession to office is that if the next person in the line is ineligible to hold the office, for any reason, then succession would merely skip over them to the next eligible person in line.

Yes, there is a clear chain of command, going through the Speaker of the House and then the Chief Justice, if the POTUS and the VP are not available.

Trumpnicks please note: Prior living 1-term presidents are not on the list.

@suzianne said
Let's hope what is Kamala?

The person the OP is possibly worried about is Kamala becoming President through Biden dying, I’m hoping it will happen, just to piss off those who don’t like her.

@moonbus said
Yes, there is a clear chain of command, going through the Speaker of the House and then the Chief Justice, if the POTUS and the VP are not available.

Trumpnicks please note: Prior living 1-term presidents are not on the list.

As far as I know, the Chief Justice is not in the line of succession.

1. Vice President
2. Speaker of the House
3. President pro tempore of the Senate
4-18. 15 Cabinet Secretaries, in the order of the creation of their Department. This makes State, Treasury and Defense the first three and Homeland Security last.

@divegeester said
The person the OP is possibly worried about is Kamala becoming President through Biden dying, I’m hoping it will happen, just to piss off those who don’t like her.

A president dying in office is a huge disruption to the country.

I'd rather see her run after Biden's term(s) is(are) over.