President Donald Trump is at the forefront of another fight for political survival, this time against a Washington D.C.-based watchdog group and their Colorado allies. These entities are bent on keeping him off the Centennial State’s 2024 ballot through a new lawsuit citing the Fourteenth Amendment.
In an energized post on Truth Social, the platform he founded, Trump responded to the lawsuit, stating, “The group suing me in Colorado to ridiculously try and Unconstitutionally keep me off the ballot… is TRUMP DERANGED ‘CREW.'” The watchdog group he refers to is the Citizens for Responsibility & Ethics in Washington (CREW).
The group suing me in Colorado to ridiculously try and Unconstitutionally keep me off the ballot (I am leading against DeSanctimonious by almost 50 points, and beating Crooked Joe, BIG!), is TRUMP DERANGED “CREW,” composed of many slime balls & groups like Norm Eisen through… pic.twitter.com/wiHMJMFQaQ
— Donald J. Trump Posts From His Truth Social (@TrumpDailyPosts) September 8, 2023
CREW argues that Trump has “disqualified himself from public office by violating Section 3 of the 14th Amendment,” which pertains to those engaged in insurrection. Yet, the crucial point here is that Trump has never been charged or convicted of any such activity. The accusations are but claims by an organization with a track record of antagonism toward Trump.
The 45th President further emphasized that this campaign to keep him off the ballot is a desperate attempt by those who oppose his political ideology. He was candid about the characters involved: “They are composed of many slime balls & groups like Norm Eisen through Brookings or Just Security, Andrew Weissmann, Joyce Vance, et al.”
While Trump didn’t shy away from naming those he sees as his detractors, he also cited his popularity in Colorado. He claimed he is “leading against DeSanctimonious by almost 50 points, and beating Crooked Joe, BIG!” With numbers like those, it’s hard not to see the lawsuit as an attempt to sidestep the voice of the voters.
An astute observation by a Trump campaign spokesperson points to the very heart of the matter. “There is no legal basis for this effort except in the minds of those who are pushing it,” he said. In other words, the campaign against Trump is rooted more in political motivation than actual law.
Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold, a Democrat, labeled Trump a “liar” on MSNBC, stating that using the Fourteenth Amendment is not “election interference.” But one might argue that trying to eliminate a leading candidate on flimsy legal grounds undermines the very democracy these groups claim to protect.
What also makes the lawsuit questionable is that Congress itself has yet to trigger Section 3 of the Fourteenth Amendment against Trump. As the Amendment notes, “Congress may by a vote of two-thirds of each House, remove such disability.” Yet, there’s been no Congressional action, leaving us to question why CREW and their allies are so eager to push their own narrative.
We’re seeing another episode in the ongoing saga of efforts to sideline Trump by any means necessary. These attempts, masked as concern for constitutional integrity, seemingly ignore that the Constitution protects the democratic process, including a fair election where any qualified candidate can run.
