'Serious violation of the Constitution': Ex-GOP gov says Trump must be thrown off ballot
January 31, 2024
Former Gov. Marc Racicot (R-MT) spoke forcefully on MSNBC's "The ReidOut" Wednesday about why he is urging the Supreme Court to let former President Donald Trump's ballot disqualifications in Colorado and Maine stand.
Several voters and good governance groups have sued to get Trump disqualified in various states under the Insurrection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment, on the basis that Trump is ineligible for his role in inciting the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol.
"Tell me why you felt compelled to weigh in on this Supreme Court case against Donald Trump," said anchor Joy Reid.
ALSO READ: Trump goes silent on ‘serious voter fraud’ after long trashing New Hampshire as ‘rigged’
"Well, because it's a serious violation of the Constitution to ignore it," said Racicot. "And the fact of the matter is that nobody has a right to run for office. We certainly have a right to vote if we qualify and haven't disabled ourselves from being able to vote. But we don't have a right to run. In order to run, the person that is the candidate has to prove that, in fact, they can meet the qualifications. So you don't get access to the ballot unless you meet the qualifications."
"The qualifications have been there from the beginning of the Constitution 235 years ago," Racicot continued. "You have to be 35 years of age. You have to be native-born and resident of the country for the past 14 years. Then there's a fourth requirement that you have to meet in order to be eligible. And that is, you cannot have taken an oath to support the Constitution of the United States and thereafter involve, engage, incite or in any other way be involved with an insurrection against the United States of America and against the Constitution."
"So, simply, as you said in your introduction, it cannot be ignored. It can't be waived. It's not an option. This is something that is mandatory," Racicot added. "And the burden is on Mr. Trump to prove that, in fact, he meets the qualifications. And there is evidence from two courts, a district court in Colorado and the United States Supreme Court, plus the secretary of state in the state of Maine that have all held after a due process hearing that, in fact, Mr. Trump was involved in an insurrection. And as a consequence, he is therefore ineligible to run for president. So, we want to see faith be paid to the Constitution. That's the bottom line."
Watch the video below or at the link here.
Leave a Comment
Related Post