MSNBC’s Mehdi Hasan on Thursday broke down the potential disqualification of Donald Trump from the presidency via the 14th Amendment.
Trump posted a Truth Social tirade about the push to determine his eligibility earlier this month, calling it “election interference” by “radical left communists” trying to steal an election.
“For once, it’s not just the ramblings of a perpetually paranoid malcontent. There really is an effort underway to remove Donald Trump from the presidential ballot,” Hasan told viewers.
Section Three of the 14th Amendment states that anyone who engaged in insurrection against the Constitution after taking an oath to defend it is prohibited from holding office.
The issue gained traction last month when two conservative law professors published a lengthy law review article concluding that Trump is disqualified from office due to his actions on Jan. 6, 2021.
“The thing that has Trump so upset is that it’s not just conservative scholars and retired judges saying this stuff,” Hasan said. “It’s that liberals and even some conservatives have actually already got the ball rolling on lawsuits to potentially remove Trump’s name from the ballot in multiple states.”
Legal efforts are underway in several states to determine Trump’s eligibility to appear on the ballot under the measure. Experts believe the case is inevitably bound for the majority-conservative Supreme Court.
In Hasan’s view, the country is bound for turbulent times no matter the outcome.
He pointed to comments from David Frum, a former George W. Bush aide, who argued that the nation would be left in “chaos” if President Joe Biden won reelection with Electoral College votes from states where Trump was barred from the ballot.
“Chaos is Donald Trump’s brand. Chaos was what he unleashed on democracy and on the Capitol. You think chaos isn’t on the table if Trump is allowed to run again?” Hasan asked.