Last Wednesday, an Illinois state judge made a decisive ruling that former President Donald Trump should be disqualified from the state’s primary ballot due to his involvement in the January 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol. The judge cited the anti-insurrection clause of the 14th Amendment as the basis for this decision.
This ruling indeed casts a shadow of uncertainty over the upcoming March election in Illinois. With early voting already underway, voters may find themselves questioning the implications of this decision.
An Illinois judge ruled Wednesday that former president Donald Trump should be removed from the state’s primary ballot because of the 14th Amendment ban on insurrectionists holding office. https://t.co/cH2a3Vhh12
— The Washington Post (@washingtonpost) February 29, 2024
This situation heightens the urgency for the U.S. Supreme Court to provide a national resolution to the persistent inquiries regarding Donald Trump’s eligibility to appear on ballots in over 30 states.
Judge Tracie R. Porter, presiding over the State Circuit Court in Cook County, has asserted that the State Board of Elections erred in dismissing an effort to exclude Donald J.
Trump from the ballot. The judge’s ruling mandates that Trump be removed from the ballot for the general primary election scheduled for March 19, 2024, or that any votes cast in his favor be nullified.
Judge Porter, ruled that Section 3 of the 14th Amendment, also known as the “insurrection clause,” bars former President Donald Trump from the 2024 Republican primary ballot. However, she has placed her order on hold until Friday to allow for an appeal.
BREAKING: Illinois Judge removes former President Donald Trump from the state’s primary ballot, citing section three of the 14th Amendment, also known at the insurrection clause. The move by Judge Tracie Porter, marks the third state to attempt this election disqualification.… pic.twitter.com/Y4FAnMd7b2
— Breaking 4 News (@Breaking_4_News) February 29, 2024
A spokesperson for the Trump campaign has asserted that the ruling is unconstitutional and has vowed to appeal.
“Today, an activist Democrat judge in Illinois summarily overruled the state’s Board of Elections and contradicted earlier decisions from dozens of other state and federal jurisdictions,” stated Steven Cheung, a spokesperson for the Trump campaign.
Judge Porter’s ruling marks a significant development, as it designates Illinois as the largest state where Donald Trump has been deemed ineligible on constitutional grounds. Prior to this, officials in Colorado and Maine had already ruled him ineligible based on similar constitutional arguments.
“The decision acknowledges the significance of rule of law and the commitment to uphold the mandate of the U.S. Constitution,” stated Caryn Lederer, an attorney representing the Illinois residents who challenged Trump’s eligibility, in a statement.
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