The comedic aspects of this news story are mounting moment by moment. If faux outrage were currency, we would all be billionaires right about now, there is no much of it falling through the air. Just pick it up and cash it in. Vivek Ramaswamy is the most recent Republican to chime in on how ill-used Donald Trump has been by a Colorado court which ruled that his name be barred from the 2024 GOP ballot by the Insurrection Clause of the 14th Amendment. Ramaswamy is so massively upset that he says he’s going to take his bag of marbles and go home. So there. The fact that Ramaswamy can probably count on the fingers of one hand the people who have any kind of interest or investment in him staying in the presidential race seems to have escaped the man entirely. A host of a Sinclair Broadcasting show released this on TwitX.
From @VivekGRamaswamy
I pledge to withdraw from the Colorado GOP primary unless Trump is also allowed to be on the state’s ballot, and I demand that Ron DeSantis, Chris Christie, and Nikki Haley to do the same immediately.— Sharyl Attkisson 🕵️♂️💼🥋 (@SharylAttkisson) December 20, 2023
Does anybody want to hold their breath while waiting for DeSantis, Christie and Haley to bond together in solidarity and help the cause of Donald Trump? I’ll wait…..for those of you who don’t want to bang your head unnecessarily, read Vivek’s “analysis.”
I can’t imagine that the Commander in Chief is not considered an “officer of the United States.” That doesn’t seem to comport with common sense, let alone constitutional law. But let’s see what the actual scholars of the Constitution, the justices of the Supreme Court of the United States end up having to say about this.
And bear in mind, this could be a win/win situation. If Trump is barred from the ballot, along with other insurrectionists, good. That means that the guardrails of democracy are in place, our institutions are that much safer. And if Trump is allowed on the ballot, that’s well and good, too. That will give the electorate a chance to reject him at the ballot box — again.
So either way you cut it, this looks like a great deal for democracy, and another lousy day for Donald. And what’s even better? We’re going to see a lot more of these days dawn.
It’s a great time to be alive and keeping a keen eye on politics. We are just that much closer to watching the fat orange man with the phony floofy hair get the comeuppance he so richly deserves.
He chatters faster than Chip and Dale the chipmunks, with as much real content as cotton candy is real food. Gosh…please come back…oh please oh please oh please. And bring the thousand clowns with you!
There are two technicalities Trump has been trying to hang his hat on. One is that the Presidential Oath of Office (so he claims) doesn’t actually say a President has to “support and defend the Constitution” – the first part of the oath I took (more than once) and countless others have in our history. However, the Presidential oath take this to a higher level. A President swears (or affirms) with this Oath of Office: “I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my Ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States.”
That second part in particular shreds Trump’s argument. As for whether a President or any elected official is an Officer of the United States there is a wealth of writing and even precedent saying they are exactly that. Including at the SCOTUS level. For example: The U.S. Supreme Court wrote in Nixon v. Fitzgerald, 457 U.S. 731 (1982): “Article II, § 1, of the Constitution provides that “[t]he executive Power shall be vested in a President of the United States. . . .” This grant of authority establishes the President as the chief constitutional officer of the Executive Branch, entrusted with supervisory and policy responsibilities of utmost discretion and sensitivity. (457 U.S. 749-750).”
Trump was (tragically) an Officer of the United States as judged by intent, meaning of the term when the term was written into the Constitution and laws and even legal precedent. He also swore and Oath to the Constitution, and one intended to be above and greater than that of any other Constitutionally defined Officer of the United States.
So suck it Trump. And his enablers too!
sometimes technicalities are of minor impact and are bound to show up in our legal system.
sometimes technicalities are desirable cards to play in any case no matter how immoral the perp.
diaper don plays technicalities and hate cards always. it’s his hobby. it’s his name.
he obviously is so wrapped up in his hobby and his name that nothing else will do.
he’s a Constitution shark over a card shark.
he wants us to know he is out there and coming for the entire document.
Not sure why Rattysnotty is so butt-hurt that tRump is off the ballot.
Must be trying to suck up to the Mango Moron to hope for a cabinet position.