Yes I am aware that the Supreme Court let him
stay on the ballot when they had the chance to rule on this, but that’s a single ruling, not a law, and in point of fact not even Trump’s own lawyers argued that he was not a traitor–they persuaded the Court he appointed to invent a technicality that has no basis in the actual amendment, nor any law, nor legal precedent.
The silver lining here should be that the same Court also gave Biden the immunity he would need to step in and use the Executive branch to apply any the “checks and balances” needed to restore rule of law when all other branches fail, because that is the way our democracy is designed to work, yet Biden won’t do that, and so US citizens can say goodbye to having any form of separation of powers at all.
Did Trump engage in treason? Article III of our constitution says:
“Treason against the United States, shall consist only in levying War against them, or in adhering to their Enemies, giving them Aid and Comfort. No Person shall be convicted of Treason unless on the testimony of two Witnesses to the same overt Act, or on Confession in open Court.”
Trump, sadly, was never on trial for treason much less convicted of it. So like it or not (very much not!) Trump was never tried for crimes that would disqualify him from being elected president. Biden upheld the rule of law and adhered to our constitution.
“The disqualification clause of the Fourteenth Amendment prevents public officials who engage in treason from holding a future public office.”
https://constitution.findlaw.com/amendment14/annotation15.html#:~:text=The disqualification clause of the,holding a future public office.
Yes I am aware that the Supreme Court let him stay on the ballot when they had the chance to rule on this, but that’s a single ruling, not a law, and in point of fact not even Trump’s own lawyers argued that he was not a traitor–they persuaded the Court he appointed to invent a technicality that has no basis in the actual amendment, nor any law, nor legal precedent.
https://amp.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2024/mar/05/trump-supreme-court-insurrection-ruling-election
The silver lining here should be that the same Court also gave Biden the immunity he would need to step in and use the Executive branch to apply any the “checks and balances” needed to restore rule of law when all other branches fail, because that is the way our democracy is designed to work, yet Biden won’t do that, and so US citizens can say goodbye to having any form of separation of powers at all.
“public officials who engage in treason”
Did Trump engage in treason? Article III of our constitution says:
“Treason against the United States, shall consist only in levying War against them, or in adhering to their Enemies, giving them Aid and Comfort. No Person shall be convicted of Treason unless on the testimony of two Witnesses to the same overt Act, or on Confession in open Court.”
Trump, sadly, was never on trial for treason much less convicted of it. So like it or not (very much not!) Trump was never tried for crimes that would disqualify him from being elected president. Biden upheld the rule of law and adhered to our constitution.
I don’t like it but that’s the way it is.