Congressman David Cicilline Rhode Island was the Democrat who led the 2nd impeachment attempt against Donald Trump. At that time Cicilline accused Trump of inciting the January 6th riot at the Capitol building. He now uses that claim in an attempt to ban Trump from ever running for office.
Trump announced his bid for 2024, Tuesday at his home in Mar-a-Lago. Just before Cicilline authored a letter to block Trump: “Tonight, Donald Trump is expected to announce his third bid for the Presidency of the United States even though he forfeited his right to ever hold federal office again for leading an insurrection against the United States,” wrote Cicilline
“The legislation details testimony and evidence demonstrating how Donald Trump engaged in insurrection,” he wrote.
In previous legal wranglings, Democratic-aligned lawyers had sought to prohibit some Republican members of Congress, such as outgoing Rep. Madison Cawthorn (R-NC) and Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA), from vying for reelection using similar logic. Those legal efforts failed in court.
Section 3 of the 14th Amendment precludes individuals who embarked on an insurrection against the United States from holding political office.
“No person shall … hold any office, civil or military, under the United States … who, having previously taken an oath, as a member of Congress, or as an officer of the United States … to support the Constitution of the United States, shall have engaged in insurrection or rebellion against the same, or given aid or comfort to the enemies thereof,” Section 3 reads as cited by Cicilline in the letter.
Watch
NEW: @davidcicilline sent a letter to House Dems tonight saying he is drafting legislation that would bar Trump from *ever* running for public office again under the 14th Amendment, due to Jan 6 riot
Cicilline seeking cosponsors – with Trump expected to launch his campaign at 9p pic.twitter.com/9aqz6qWHOt
— Ted Nesi (@TedNesi) November 16, 2022
Cicilline, who was a manager for Trump’s second impeachment trial, pointed to evidence amassed from the Jan. 6 committee and other reporting as “proof” to make the case that Trump participated in an insurrection with “the intention of overturning the lawful 2020 election results.”
I’m sure this will be just the first of many attempts to stop Trump from running. If Trump gets the GOP nomination, I imagine that fight will get even harder.