Can Donald Trump be barred from holding federal office? There were 40 Democrats in the House of Representatives who put their names on legislation to keep the previous president running again.
According to Section 3 of the 14th Amendment in the U.S. Constitution, anyone who took an oath of office to support the Constitution could be forbidden from holding office again:
‘[No person] shall hold any office, civil or military under the United States.’
Shall was the pivotal word here, because it translates into “must” in Constitution speak. Section 3 continued:
‘who, having previously taken an oath, as a member of Congress, or as an officer of the United States … 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.’
Representative David Cicilline (D-RI) led the charge and announced the bill in a new press release. The Rhode Island representative wrote in his release that the amendment states in no uncertain terms, “You don’t get to lead a government you tried to destroy:”
‘Donald Trump very clearly engaged in an insurrection on January 6, 2021 with the intention of overturning the lawful and fair results of the 2020 election. You don’t get to lead a government you tried to destroy. Even Mitch McConnell admits that Trump bears responsibility, saying on the Senate floor that “[t]here’s no question, none, that President Trump is practically and morally responsible for provoking the events of the day.’
Cicilline said that the ex-president disqualified himself in that portion of the Constitution and again in Section 5 of the 14th Amendment. The latter section clearly stated that Congress could write and pass a bill to set this in motion.
The Rhode Island legislator argued that Trump did, indeed, take part in an insurrection. Cicilline pointed to evidence that the former POTUS ginned up the January 6 attempted coup. Then, the ex-president claimed the election had been stolen from him. This audacious Republican president also tried to bully state officials who did not agree with him.
Cicilline was an impeachment manager when Trump was impeached the first time. Last month, the representative sent out a letter to Democrats asking for co-sponsors for the bill to hold the ex-president from ever holding office again. After January 6, 2021, the former White House resident was impeached again. This time for “incitement of insurrection,” which is further evidence.
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) excoriated Trump after January 6, NPR reported:
‘There’s no question, none, that President Trump is practically and morally responsible for provoking the events of the day. The people who stormed this building believed they were acting on the wishes and instructions of their president.’
‘and having that belief was a foreseeable consequence of the growing crescendo of false statements, conspiracy theories and reckless hyperbole which the defeated president kept shouting into the largest megaphone on planet Earth.’
Never a strong student of history, Trump announced his candidacy to run for president again in 2024.
Gloria Christie is a political journalist for the liberal online newspaper The Bipartisan Report. Written in her own unique style with a twist of humor. Christie’s Mueller Report Adventures In Bite-Sizes a real-life compelling spy mystery (in progress). Find her here on Facebook. Or at Three White Lions her book on Amazon Kindle Vella and the Gloria Christie Three White Lions podcast on Apple, Spotify, etc.
