Federalist Society Lawyers: Trump Ineligible To Run For Office
[Above, Keith Olbermann's podcast covers this story in the A-Block. -- eds.]
A pair of conservative legal scholars argue in a newly released paper that, under Section 3 of the 14th Amendment, former President Donald Trump is disqualified to hold office again, echoing a case long made by progressive experts and watchdogs.
In an in-depth analysis of Section 3, William Baude of the University of Chicago and Michael Stokes Paulsen of the University of St. Thomas contend that the clause "remains of direct and dramatic relevance today" even though it arose from "a particular historical situation and acute problem arising in the aftermath of the Civil War"—namely, the decision by Southern states to send supporters of secession and rebellion to Congress.
"Fast-forward a century and a half. The events surrounding efforts to overturn the result of the presidential election of 2020 have sparked renewed scholarly, judicial, and political interest in Section 3 of the Fourteenth Amendment," noted Baude and Paulsen, both active members of the right-wing Federalist Society. "Several of the people involved in these events—most notably the defeated president, Donald Trump—had previously taken oaths to support the Constitution."