Judge Rules Donald Trump Did Not breach the Twenty-Second Amendment
A magistrate judge concluded that Donald Trump’s claim of winning the 2020 election does not count as a presidential election, so the amendment is not violated.
The court’s findings in Wilson v. Trump confirm that Donald Trump has not broken the Twenty-Second Amendment, which bars any person from being elected president more than twice. Magistrate Judge Jeremy Peterson rejected the plaintiff’s motion for a temporary restraining order, emphasizing that Trump’s electoral victories occurred in 2016 and 2024. The plaintiff’s sole argument relied on Trump’s assertions that he “won” the 2020 election, but the judge highlighted that Trump only made statements expressing doubt about the result, not an actual election win.
Joe Biden was duly elected in 2020 and completed that term, meaning Trump’s total elected terms remain at two. Consequently, the plaintiff’s claim that the amendment was violated was dismissed.
Why it matters
The ruling clarifies that expressing doubt about an election does not constitute a presidential term under the Constitution.
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