Could former President Barack Obama eventually return to the White House for a third term?
Washington Post national political reporter and MSNBC analyst Robert Costa floated the unlikely idea late Wednesday night following the former president’s anti-Trump speech at the Democratic National Convention.
Following Obama’s speech, MSNBC host Brian Williams asked Costa if Republican lawmakers secretly agree with Obama’s claim that “democracy is being threatened” by President Trump.
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“They see what happened tonight in the Democratic convention and they see that Obama coalition reassembling. This is such an important time in America, we remember the 19th Amendment. But talking to Republicans and Democrats in recent minutes, it's clear that they're not only talking about the 19th Amendment these days or tonight,” Costa said.
“They're talking about the 22nd Amendment that bans a president from going beyond two terms,” Costa continued. “Democrats are looking at that Obama speech tonight and saying maybe one day he could come back? Maybe the 22nd Amendment could be repealed?”
The Washington Post reporter went on to say that Obama’s speech was “a historic rebuke” of a current president by a former president.
“That speaks to the fundamental core of the country, it’s values. And it was a partisan speech on one level. But it was beyond that from President Obama,” Costa said. “That speech by a former president in a constitutional setting, Republicans are sitting up straight and paying attention.”
The 22nd Amendment was approved in 1947 and ratified four years later, following the re-election of Democratic President Franklin D. Roosevelt for a fourth term. Republicans held the majority in both the House and Senate at the time.
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Williams then said that Americans get to know a president pretty well after eight years in office.
“Especially those of us who pay attention for a living,” Williams said. “But all Americans all citizens, all consumers, how is it that the combination of traits we saw in Barack Obama tonight haven't been revealed in totality prior to now?”
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