Insurrection Clause Cited as Reason
Jan. 6 Attack on U.S. Capitol Cited
In a highly contentious decision, a divided court has ruled that former President Donald Trump is ineligible to run for the presidency. The court argued that Trump’s actions, which fueled the deadly Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol by right-wing protesters, violated the insurrection clause. The attack aimed to disrupt congressional certification of President Biden’s 2020 election victory.
Rivals Campaign in Iowa as Decision is Announced
The ruling comes as Trump and three of his rivals, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, former ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley, and biotech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, campaign in Iowa. With just under four weeks until the state’s caucuses, the decision adds further complexity to the GOP race.
DeSantis and Haley Criticize Judicial Overreach
Reacting to the court’s decision, Gov. Ron DeSantis criticized what he viewed as judicial overreach. He wrote in a social media posting, “The Left invokes ‘democracy’ to justify its use of power, even if it means abusing judicial power to remove a candidate from the ballot based on spurious legal grounds. SCOTUS should reverse.”
Nikki Haley echoed the sentiment, stating that decisions like these should be in the hands of voters, not judges. “We don’t need to have judges making these decisions. We need voters to make these decisions. So I want to see this in the hands of the voters. We’re going to win this the right way,” she told reporters.
Ramaswamy Withdraws from Race, Accuses Establishment of Bias
Vivek Ramaswamy, Trump’s staunchest defender among the remaining rivals for the nomination, vowed to withdraw his name from the race. He encouraged his opponents to do the same, arguing that the court’s decision constituted an attack on democracy. “Having tried every trick in the book to eliminate President Trump from running in this election, the bipartisan Establishment is now deploying a new tactic to bar him from ever holding office again,” Ramaswamy charged.
Christie Calls Ruling Premature, Stresses Voter Decision
Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, also in the GOP presidential nomination field, was campaigning in New Hampshire at the time of the court’s decision. Christie labeled the ruling as “probably premature” since Trump has yet to stand trial for inciting the attack on the Capitol. “I do not believe Donald Trump should be prevented from being President of the United States by any court. I think he should be prevented from being President of the United States by the voters of this country,” Christie emphasized.
Trump Remains Front-Runner Despite Legal Troubles
Despite facing multiple legal challenges — including federal court cases in Washington, D.C., and Fulton County court in Georgia — Trump remains the commanding front-runner for the Republican nomination. His legal troubles seem to have only bolstered his support among Republican voters, as he aims to run for the presidency for a third consecutive time.
