'I'm OK with term limits': Trump backs congressional reform as McConnell's absence fuels debate

WASHINGTON, DC: President Donald Trump voiced support for term limits for members of Congress, though he admitted it won’t be easy to make that happen. He argued that, in the end, elections are really how voters hold lawmakers accountable anyway.

Trump’s comments came as people were talking more about Sen Mitch McConnell, who’s been away from the Senate for almost three months, sparking fresh debates over how long politicians should stay in office.

Trump’s stance became clear when he was asked if he would back term limits if Congress ever sent him a bill on the matter. He didn’t dodge the question and gave one of his strongest endorsements of term limits during his second term.

Trump backs congressional term limits despite reservations

Trump said he sees where both sides of the term-limits debate are coming from, but in the end, he gave his support, though with some reservations.

He talked about watching skilled politicians get kicked out just when they’re at their best because of term limits.

That leaves a bunch of newcomers running things. Then again, he also pointed out the other side: sometimes lawmakers just stick around for way too long.

"I always like to say that a term limit is an election. The public is pretty smart," Trump said, adding that, in his view, elections already provide the mechanism for voters to remove officials they no longer want in office.

Despite that framing, Trump said he would not oppose term limits if Congress chose to pass them.

"I'm OK with term limits. Remember, the people that have to pass term limits are the people that are going to be voting on them to get out of office.”

“So it's a little bit tough. That's not the easiest vote to get, is it? But I'm OK with it one way or the other," he said. "I do think elections really turn people out," he said.

Trump remarks come amid Mitch McConnell absence debate

Trump’s comments came at a time when people are increasingly talking about age, health and responsibility in politics, especially after Mitch McConnell disappeared from public view for more than two months.

McConnell, who is 84, hasn’t been seen since he was hospitalized on June 14. Since then, his office has barely issued any statements, aside from a few short updates. The latest one, on August 6, said he had left rehab and was recovering at home.

Meanwhile, Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear continues to push for more openness. He says he’s heard “absolutely nothing” from McConnell’s team, despite repeatedly reaching out.

Reporters who have tried to reach McConnell’s staff at the Capitol haven’t gotten any answers, either.

On the other side of the aisle, Charles Booker, the Democrat running for McConnell’s seat in November, says the secrecy is putting real pressure on the race and making voters question whether long-serving leaders like McConnell should be held more accountable.