Democrats’ attempt to use the 14th Amendment against Trump may have unintended consequences
Donald Trump Faces Legal Challenges, but Could Benefit with GOP Voters
Donald Trump is currently dealing with legal issues that could actually work in his favor with Republican voters. He has been removed from election ballots in Colorado and Maine due to concerns that he violated the 14th Amendment’s clause prohibiting those who “engaged in insurrection” from holding office.
Supreme Court Ruling Could Favor Trump
However, the Supreme Court has the power to overturn these challenges and rule in favor of Trump. If this happens, it would only add to the narrative of Trump being a prominent figure and fuel his anti-establishment persona.
“The challengers are rapidly fulfilling Trump’s narrative of a weaponized legal system and the anti-democratic tendencies of his opponents,” said George Washington University law professor Jonathan Turley. “This disqualification effort bulldozes any moral high ground for these Trump critics.”
Turley believes that the Supreme Court will ultimately reject the challenges based on the 14th Amendment, as they lack legal and historical foundation.
While Trump has only been barred from two states so far, there are numerous advocacy groups seeking to remove him, resulting in dozens of similar cases. Sean Grimsley, an attorney representing the anti-Trump challengers in Colorado, is hopeful that other states will follow suit.
“[Trump] betrayed his oath to the Constitution by engaging in insurrection against it, and by doing so he made himself ineligible for public office,” Grimsley said in a statement. “We hope and believe other states will now follow suit.”
Challenges to Trump’s candidacy have already been rejected in California and Michigan, and these state-level decisions are likely to lead to a Supreme Court ruling on the matter. It is worth noting that the Supreme Court has never before ruled on Section 3 of the 14th Amendment.
Trump expressed his dissatisfaction with the Colorado ruling through a social media post, calling it a “pathetic gambit to rig the election.”
Trump’s Legal Battles Impacting 2024 Presidential Election
The ongoing legal battles involving Trump have become a recurring theme in the 2024 presidential election cycle. At the beginning of 2023, Trump seemed weakened after his chosen candidates lost in the midterm elections, while Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) won Florida by a significant margin.
DeSantis posed a threat to Trump’s dominance, with 30% support compared to Trump’s 45%, according to the RealClearPolitics average. However, everything changed when Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg indicted Trump on 34 felony counts of falsifying business records in March. Trump’s support quickly rose above 50%, while DeSantis struggled to maintain double-digit support.
The 14th Amendment cases are having a similar effect. Trump, already the clear front-runner, is now approaching 65% support nationwide, while DeSantis is struggling to remain in double digits.
“It clearly doesn’t hurt him in the primary because, as we’ve seen so many times, any time Trump gets in trouble, most of his opponents rush to his defense,” Republican strategist Doug Heye said.
Democratic prosecutors and left-leaning groups have forced challengers like DeSantis and former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley to defend Trump while simultaneously trying to convince voters to consider other options.
The upcoming primaries will determine how Republican primary voters perceive these challenges. The broader question is how the Colorado ruling and other indictments will impact the general election if Trump makes it that far.
“It’s just not clear yet if it plays a role,” Heye said. “If the Supreme Court shoots it down, it probably has little to no effect.”
Another Republican strategist, John Feehery, believes that Democrats are unintentionally helping Trump. He suggests that their actions may be part of a conspiracy to ensure Trump wins the GOP nomination, although he acknowledges that Democrats may simply be blinded by their disdain for Trump.
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How do the rejected challenges in California and Michigan indicate a potential Supreme Court ruling on Section 3 of the 14th Amendment
Is second impeachment trial and the subsequent legal challenges he faced. However, as the legal battles persist, it appears that they could actually benefit him with GOP voters.
Trump’s legal issues have solidified his anti-establishment image, which resonates strongly with conservative voters. The efforts to remove him from election ballots in Colorado and Maine on the grounds of violating the 14th Amendment’s insurrection clause only add to this narrative. If the Supreme Court overturns these challenges, it would further enhance Trump’s image as a prominent figure fighting against the establishment.
Legal expert Jonathan Turley believes that the Supreme Court will ultimately reject these challenges as they lack legal and historical foundation. He argues that the disqualification effort by Trump’s opponents only strengthens his anti-establishment rhetoric and undermines the moral high ground of his critics.
While Trump has only been barred from two states so far, there are numerous advocacy groups seeking to remove him from other states as well. The attorney representing the anti-Trump challengers in Colorado, Sean Grimsley, is hopeful that other states will follow suit, emphasizing Trump’s alleged betrayal of the Constitution through his involvement in the insurrection.
However, challenges to Trump’s candidacy have already been rejected in California and Michigan, indicating that these state-level decisions may lead to a Supreme Court ruling on the matter. It is noteworthy that the Supreme Court has never before ruled on Section 3 of the 14th Amendment, making this a significant legal precedent.
Trump himself expressed his frustration with the Colorado ruling through a social media post, accusing it of being a “pathetic gambit to rig the election.” This highlights his pushback against the legal challenges and reinforces his image as a political outsider fighting against a rigged system.
Overall, Trump’s ongoing legal battles have become a central theme in the 2024 presidential election cycle. Despite initial perceptions of weakness, these legal challenges have actually strengthened his position with Republican voters by solidifying his anti-establishment image. Whether the Supreme Court rules in his favor or against him, these legal battles will continue to impact the political landscape leading up to the 2024 presidential election.
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