Congress could “disqualify” Donald Trump if he wins the presidency again, claims top Democrat Jamie Raskin. The Democrat Representative argues that the 14th Amendment includes provisions to block Trump’s return to the White House, referencing its post-Civil War Section 3.
In footage released in February, Raskin emphasized, “And the greatest example going on right now before our very eyes is Section 3 of the 14th Amendment, which they’re just disappearing with a magic wand as if it doesn’t exist, even though it could not be clearer what it’s stating. And so they want to kick it to Congress, so it’s going to be up to us on January 6, 2025, to tell the rampaging Trump mobs that he’s disqualified. And then we need bodyguards for everybody, and civil war conditions, all because the nine justices — not all of them, but these justices who have not many cases to look at every year, not that much work to do, a huge staff, great protection — simply do not want to do their job and interpret what the great 14th Amendment means.”
Raskin, the lead impeachment manager during the Democrats’ second attempt to remove Trump over the January 6 riots, has previously attempted to challenge the Electoral College vote certification in 2017. He predicted in February that the Supreme Court would block efforts to exclude Trump from state ballots. However, his prediction was proven incorrect as all nine justices unanimously rejected the attempt to remove Trump from state ballots, noting that “The Constitution makes Congress, rather than the states, responsible for enforcing Section 3 against federal officeholders and candidates.”
Despite efforts from states like Colorado and Maine to prevent Trump from appearing on the ballot, Congress failed to block his candidacy after the Senate did not reach the two-thirds majority required to convict Trump following the January 6 impeachment proceedings.
The resurfaced clip has drawn criticism from Trump supporters. Senior Trump aide Stephen Miller labeled Raskin’s comments as “a criminal conspiracy to commit election interference,” while Tesla CEO Elon Musk called the remarks “a crazy thing for him to say.” Donald Trump Jr. added, “This is what an actual threat to democracy looks like,” referencing attacks on his father.
Tensions in the 2024 Presidential Election have escalated, especially after a lone shooter targeted Trump in Pennsylvania, resulting in one death and two injuries. President Biden later acknowledged it was a mistake to say it was “time to put Trump in a bullseye.”
The clip’s circulation coincided with Vice President Kamala Harris unveiling Tim Walz as her running mate. Harris, expected to secure the Democratic nomination after Joe Biden stepped down, has seen a boost in the polls. According to Redfield & Wilton Strategies, Trump is leading in Florida, Georgia, Michigan, North Carolina, and Pennsylvania, while Harris is slightly ahead in Arizona, Minnesota, and New Mexico. The two are tied in Nevada and Wisconsin.