U.S. Rep. August Pfluger benefits from fund drive promoting third Trump term

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WASHINGTON — Fundraising messages benefiting U.S. Rep. August Pfluger, R-San Angelo, asked voters if they were “ready to give President Trump a THIRD TERM,” prompting a pushback from President Donald Trump’s own political operation.

The fundraising message, sent out on Tuesday, claims that a “new bill would give President Trump a THIRD TERM.”

“We need to hear from you,” the message says. “Are YOU ready to give President Trump a THIRD TERM to truly MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN?”

The message was sent out by the House Conservatives Fund, a leadership political action committee tied to the Republican Study Committee. The study committee is the largest ideological caucus in the House Republican Conference. Pfluger serves as its chair.

The message includes fundraising options for the House Conservatives Fund, a joint fundraising committee for Trump and Pfluger’s congressional campaign. They are funneled through WinRed, the Republican National Committee’s grassroots fundraising platform.

The Huffington Post was the first to report on the fundraising message.

Trump is constitutionally forbidden from running for a third term, though he has repeatedly mused about doing so in the past. Republicans assert the president is joking. Congress and the states would need to amend the Constitution in order for Trump to serve 12 years.

U.S. Rep. Andy Ogles, R-Tennessee, introduced a resolution last month to amend the Constitution to allow Trump three terms, but no more. It has no cosponsors.

Jason Miller, a spokesperson for the Trump campaign, did not respond to a request for comment from The Texas Tribune. But in a statement to Huffington Post, Miller said the president had not supported the fundraising message.

“This fundraising solicitation was not approved by President Trump’s political operation and most definitely was not approved by President Trump,” Miller said in a statement to the news outlet. “As a reminder, President Trump does not respond favorably to political entities trying to raise money off his name, image, and likeness, without explicit advance approval.”

Pfluger’s team deferred comment to the Republican Study Committee, which did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Pfluger was elected chair of the Republican Study Committee in November. The committee encompasses a wide array of House Republicans, and its chairmanship has been a launching pad for other leaders in the party. Speaker Mike Johnson and Majority Leader Steve Scalise were both RSC chairs. Russell Vought, the current head of Trump’s Office of Management and Budget, served as the RSC’s executive director.

Pfluger is a conservative who is willing to work across the aisle and has received praise from Democrats in the Texas delegation. He serves on the House Energy and Commerce Committee and the House Homeland Security Committee — both highly coveted spots for Texas members.

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