Is Section 3 of the 14th Amendment a Tool to Prevent Trump from the Ballot?
Many are currently questioning the Section 3 of the 14th Amendment in the United States as a means to disqualify Donald Trump from the ballot. This section of the Constitution aims to prevent individuals from holding office if they have engaged in insurrection or rebellion against the United States or given aid to the enemies thereof. However, the use of this law to remove Trump from the ballot is purely a political maneuver and not grounded in the legal text of the Constitution.
The Political Motivation Behind the Disqualification Attempt
The decision to disqualify Trump from the ballot has been heavily politicized. Some argue that this is a political posturing intended to keep him from becoming President again, rather than a legitimate attempt to enforce the law. The focus is on who is funding the District Attorneys who have been pursuing Trump, and their connection to global organizations like the WEF, UN, NATO, and others. These funding sources may indeed have a vested interest in keeping Trump quiet and out of the presidential race, to avoid exposing the corruption and crimes of powerful leaders.
Section 3 of the 14th Amendment: What It Means
Section 3 of the 14th Amendment explicitly states that no person who has previously taken an oath to support the Constitution can hold any office, unless convicted and removed from that office. The specific section reads:
No person shall be a Senator or Representative in Congress, or elector of President and Vice-President, or hold any office, civil or military, under the United States, or under any State, who, having previously taken an oath, as a member of Congress, or as an officer of the United States, or as a member of any State government, to support the Constitution of the United States, shall have engaged in insurrection or rebellion against the same, or given aid or comfort to the enemies thereof. But Congress may by legislation provide for the removal of such a disability.
Notably, the 14th Amendment specifically excludes the position of President. Therefore, any attempt to disqualify Trump under this section would be a misinterpretation of the law. Sitting President Trump, if he had held that position at the time of any insurrection, would not have been covered by this section.
Legislative and Judicial Actions and Reactions
Several states, including Maine, Colorado, and Illinois, have successfully disqualified Trump from their ballots, but about a dozen cases have been dismissed or voluntarily withdrawn. The Supreme Court is now considering whether this kind of disqualification should be left to individual states, or if they should intervene. This decision would align with their past rulings on reproductive rights and gun rights.
The irony here is stark: after decades of struggle to include this provision in the Constitution to prevent traitors from holding office, it would be a mockery of democracy for the Supreme Court to refuse to enforce it. Trump's own disregard for the Constitution and his attempts to steal an election and his authoritarian tendencies further highlight the need to adhere to this provision.
While the legal argument surrounding Section 3 of the 14th Amendment is complex, the political ramifications of using this provision to disqualify Donald Trump are clear. It represents a significant test of American democracy and the rule of law.