Despite facing legal challenges in Colorado and Illinois based on Section 3 of the Fourteenth Amendment – which bars anyone who has engaged in insurrection or rebellion from holding public office – Donald Trump won a Supreme Court case March 4 that allowed him to remain on the primary ballot in those states.
The court overturned the Colorado Supreme Court ruling that had disqualified Trump from running for president again, citing his role in the Jan. 6, 2020 attack on the Capitol.
Illinois primaries are on March 19, and Trump will remain on the Illinois ballot as well, according to WBEZ.
SUPREME COURT DECISION ON TRUMP UNJUSTIFIED
By: Camilla Dziadosz, Opinion Columnist
While the courts ruled Donald Trump would not be removed from the 2024 presidential primary ballot, the efforts and reasons for removing him are more than justifiable.
The desire to remove Trump from the ballot root from a combination of contextual events; Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 election, multiple sexual assault allegations, handling of the COVID-19 outbreak, among a multitide of other events. But the topic of the court ruling was specifically about the Capitol Attack – Section 3 of the Fourteenth Amendment.
The capitol attack was objectively influenced by Trump’s irresponsible tweets that encouraged supporters to attack, according to NPR.
The distaste and desire for Trump’s removal goes beyond his efforts to overturn the 2020 election.
Policies and an emphasis on human rights matter to voters, especially marginalized groups. The long list of women who have allegedly been assaulted by Donald Trump, according to the 19th News, raises concerns that he truly cares about people and isn’t purely acting out of self-interest.
Trump’s universal controversy calls for a closer inspection and consideration of implications on our American democracy.
Trump’s failure to uphold democratic ideals and protect the peaceful transfer of power are all reasons why his presidency should be off the table – we do not need another volatile four years with Trump as our president.
SUPREME COURT DECISION ON TRUMP JUSTIFIED
By: Will Thiel, Opinion Columnist
For the first few weeks after he was disqualified from the ballots in Maine, Colorado and Illinois, many people in America suspected he was liable for his actions on January 6.
But the Supreme Court’s decision is a win for both Trump and Americans that will help fight against the political bias in America’s courts.
Such prejudices in Trump’s case affect how voters act and cast doubt on the validity of a normal election.
With the ruling in Colorado, the Supreme Court unanimously decided disqualifying a past president for false allegations of insurrection is inappropriate for the current U.S. political climate.
During the deliberations, all nine justices reached an agreement, which was raised by Justice Amy Coney Barrett, a Trump appointee.
“In my judgment, this is not the time to amplify disagreement with stridency. The Court has settled a politically charged issue in the volatile season of a Presidential election,” Barrett said in her concurring opinion of the March 4 decision. “Particularly in this circumstance, writings on the Court should turn the national temperature down, not up. For present purposes, our differences are far less important than our unanimity: All nine Justices agree on the outcome of this case. That is the message Americans should take home.”
Americans need to avoid weaponizing the court to advance a political agenda.
While theoretically relevant, the Colorado Court’s decision to exacerbate issues during an election year and bar a former president from running only deepens the existing divisions in American politics.
Voters should choose who gets to stay on the ballots, not the courts.
With Trump back on the ballot, we can see how he fares against President Biden on an even playing field.
