Eleanor Finch
In March 2019, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez stated that the US Constitution had been amended to prevent Franklin D. Roosevelt from being re-elected. This claim was criticised by some as a misinterpretation of the historical facts. While Roosevelt was indeed the catalyst for the 22nd Amendment, which limits presidents to two terms, he died in 1945, two years before the amendment was passed, and six years before it was ratified.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Name of the person who made the statement | Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez |
| Designation of the person | U.S. Representative |
| Political Party | Democratic Party |
| What was said | "They had to amend the Constitution of the United States to make sure Roosevelt did not get re-elected." |
| Who was the statement about | Franklin D. Roosevelt |
| What amendment was being discussed | 22nd Amendment |
| What did the 22nd Amendment do | Limited the President to two terms |
| When was the 22nd Amendment passed | 1947 |
| When did Roosevelt die | 1945 |
| When was Roosevelt re-elected for the fourth time | 1944 |
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What You'll Learn
AOC's comments on FDR's fourth term
In March 2019, during an interview with MSNBC, Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez stated that the Constitution had to be amended to prevent Franklin D. Roosevelt from being re-elected for a fourth term. Her exact words were, "They had to amend the Constitution of the United States to make sure Roosevelt did not get re-elected."
Ocasio-Cortez's comments sparked a debate on Twitter, with some users accusing her of misrepresenting the facts surrounding the 22nd Amendment and FDR's fourth term. They pointed out that FDR died in 1945, two years before the 22nd Amendment was passed and six years before its ratification.
However, Ocasio-Cortez's supporters argued that she was highlighting how FDR's repeated re-elections during the 1930s and 1940s were the catalyst for the two-term limit imposed by the 22nd Amendment. They noted that calls for a constitutional amendment to limit presidential terms had intensified even before FDR's second re-election in 1940.
The 22nd Amendment, which limits presidents to two terms, was passed in 1947, two years after FDR's death and six years after his fourth election in 1944. While it was a response to FDR's unprecedented four terms, it did not prevent his re-elections as he was exempt from the amendment while in office.
In conclusion, Ocasio-Cortez's comments on FDR's fourth term were misinterpreted by some as a chronological inaccuracy. However, her point was to emphasize the connection between FDR's lengthy tenure and the subsequent push for term limits in the 22nd Amendment, which aimed to prevent future presidents from serving more than two terms.
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The 22nd Amendment
The amendment states that "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." This amendment has barred six twice-elected presidents from a third term: Dwight D. Eisenhower, Richard Nixon, Ronald Reagan, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, and Barack Obama. The incumbent president, Donald Trump, is also barred from seeking a third term.
There has been some debate and ambiguity regarding the interpretation of the 22nd Amendment, particularly in relation to the 12th Amendment. The 12th Amendment, ratified in 1804, states that "no person constitutionally ineligible to the office of President shall be eligible to that of Vice-President of the United States." This has raised questions about whether a two-term president could still be elected as vice president and then potentially succeed to the presidency. However, the Supreme Court has not yet had to rule on this matter.
In recent years, there have been calls to repeal or alter the 22nd Amendment. Ronald Reagan, for example, believed it infringed on democratic rights, while Bill Clinton suggested it should be changed to allow for non-consecutive terms. Despite these debates, the 22nd Amendment remains in place and continues to shape the presidential election process in the United States.
Regarding the statement made by Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (AOC), there was some controversy on Twitter regarding her statement that "they had to amend the Constitution of the United States to make sure Roosevelt did not get re-elected." Some critics viewed this as a factual error, as Roosevelt died in 1945, and the 22nd Amendment was not ratified until 1951. However, others defended her statement, clarifying that she was referring to the catalyst for the amendment, which was indeed Roosevelt's repeated re-elections.
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The 1947 amendment
In 1947, the 22nd Amendment to the United States Constitution was passed by Congress. This amendment was a response to Franklin D. Roosevelt's unprecedented four terms as president. Roosevelt was the only president in US history to have been elected to more than two terms. The 22nd Amendment limits the number of times a person can be elected to the office of President to twice and sets additional eligibility conditions for presidents who succeed their predecessors' unexpired terms.
The catalyst for the 22nd Amendment was Roosevelt's repeated re-elections during the 1930s and 1940s. Calls for a constitutional amendment to limit presidential terms began before Roosevelt's second re-election in 1940 and intensified before his third re-election in 1944. Roosevelt's Republican opponent that year, Thomas Dewey, campaigned on the issue of presidential term limits, declaring that "four terms, or sixteen years [...] is the most dangerous threat to our freedom ever proposed."
The 22nd Amendment was approved by Congress on March 21, 1947, and submitted to the state legislatures for ratification. The requisite 36 of the 48 states had ratified the amendment by February 27, 1951, and its provisions came into force on that date. The amendment prohibits anyone who has been elected president twice from being elected to office again. It also prohibits anyone who has filled an unexpired presidential term lasting more than two years from being elected president more than once.
The amendment included an exception for the sitting president, so it would not have applied to Roosevelt even if it had been ratified during his tenure. Roosevelt died in April 1945, two years before the amendment was passed by Congress and six years before it was ratified.
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The Green New Deal
In 2019, US Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (AOC) and Senator Ed Markey sponsored legislation for a Green New Deal during the 116th United States Congress. Although the legislation failed to advance in the Senate, the Green New Deal has since gained traction in the United States and internationally.
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AOC's MSNBC interview
During an interview with MSNBC's Chris Hayes, Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez claimed that the Constitution was amended to prevent President Franklin D. Roosevelt from being re-elected. She stated, "They had to amend the Constitution of the United States to make sure Roosevelt did not get re-elected." This statement sparked controversy and criticism, with some accusing her of misrepresenting the facts surrounding the 22nd Amendment and Roosevelt's fourth term.
In her defence, Ocasio-Cortez clarified that her comments were intended to highlight how Roosevelt's repeated re-elections during the 1930s and 1940s catalysed efforts to amend the Constitution and impose a two-term limit. This interpretation is supported by historical context, as calls for a constitutional amendment to limit presidential terms had intensified even before Roosevelt's second re-election in 1940.
However, critics pointed out that the 22nd Amendment was not ratified until 1951, six years after Roosevelt's death in 1945, making it impossible for the amendment to have directly prevented his fourth re-election. The amendment included an exception for the sitting president, so even if it had been ratified during Roosevelt's tenure, it would not have applied to him.
Ocasio-Cortez's comments during the MSNBC interview were part of a broader discussion about the Green New Deal. She argued that bold policies, such as the New Deal, were made possible by super majorities in the House and the Senate. This context adds nuance to her statements about Roosevelt's impact on the 22nd Amendment's passage.
The interview and Ocasio-Cortez's remarks sparked a broader conversation about the accuracy of her statements and the interpretation of historical events. While some criticised her understanding of history, others, including the National Constitution Center, came to her defence, acknowledging the complexities of the issue.
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Frequently asked questions
Yes, she claimed that the Constitution was amended to prevent Roosevelt from being re-elected.
"They had to amend the Constitution of the United States to make sure Roosevelt did not get re-elected."
The 22nd Amendment, which limits presidents to two terms.
While the 22nd Amendment was indeed a reaction to Roosevelt's four terms, it was not passed and ratified until years after he died. Some argue that AOC was referring to the early efforts to limit presidential terms.
AOC's comments divided Twitter users. While some critics accused her of fiddling with the facts, others defended her, arguing that she was referring to the legislative process that began in 1944.
