Lesson made on April 2, 2025
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Reading Lesson:
President Donald Trump has not ruled out the idea of running for a third term, even though the US Constitution does not allow it. In an interview, he said there are ways it could happen and made it clear he was serious. He also mentioned that many of his supporters want him to stay in office longer.
Trump claimed there are “methods” that could allow him to run for president again. One idea is for his Vice President, JD Vance, to become president and then step aside for Trump. However, Trump said there are other ways too but refused to explain them.
Changing the Constitution to allow a president to serve more than two terms would be extremely difficult. It would require a large majority of Congress or the states to agree, followed by approval from most of the country. Even though this is unlikely, some of Trump’s supporters have proposed extending the term limits. Steve Bannon, a close ally of Trump, has said he believes Trump will run and win again in 2028.
Trump has made comments before about serving more than two terms, but many in his political party thought he was joking. However, the White House recently posted an image on social media that shows Trump wearing a crown and a message calling him the king. After he lost the 2021 presidential election, Trump encouraged his supporters to attack the government in Washington. Many are very concerned about what he might do to stay in power longer than allowed.
Comprehension Quiz:
Speaking and Writing Activities:
– Discuss these questions with a partner or a small group.
– Choose one topic and write a response to it. Show your writing to a classmate or teacher.
1. How did the leader of your country come to power?
2. In some countries, leaders can stay in power for decades. Do you think that is good or bad? Why?
3. Imagine you are running for president. What would your campaign slogan be? What promises would you make?
More Reading Practice:
The 22nd Amendment
The 22nd Amendment to the U.S. Constitution is a rule that limits how long a person can be president. It says that no one can be elected as president more than twice. This means a president can only serve for a total of eight years. The amendment was created because some people worried that if one person stayed in power for too long, it could be bad for democracy.
Before this rule, there was no official limit on how many times a president could be elected. Most presidents only served two terms because the first U.S. president, George Washington, chose to step down after eight years, and others followed his example. But Franklin D. Roosevelt was elected four times and served for more than 12 years. After that, people decided there should be a clear rule to prevent a president from staying in office for too long.
The 22nd Amendment was passed by Congress in 1947 and officially became law in 1951. Since then, every U.S. president has had to follow this rule. If a president has already served two terms, they cannot run again, even if many people want them to. This law helps make sure that no one person has too much power for too long.
January 6, 2021
On January 6, 2021, a group of people attacked the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C. They were supporters of Donald Trump, who was president at the time. They were angry because he lost the 2020 election to Joe Biden. Trump and many of his supporters believed the election was unfair, even though there was no proof of this.
That day, Congress was meeting to officially confirm that Joe Biden had won. While they were inside, a large crowd gathered outside the Capitol. Many of them had come from a speech where Trump told them to “fight like hell” to save the country. Soon, people in the crowd forced their way past the police and broke into the Capitol building. Some broke windows, others pushed through doors, and many ran inside.
Inside the Capitol, lawmakers and workers had to hide or escape. Some people in the crowd carried weapons, and others shouted that they wanted to stop the election process. Some even said they wanted to hurt politicians. Police tried to stop them, but it took hours before the situation was under control.
Eventually, more police and security forces arrived, and the crowd was pushed out of the building. Later that night, Congress returned and finished confirming Biden’s victory. The attack shocked the country, and many people saw it as a serious threat to democracy.
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