Judge disqualifies Trump from 2024 ballot for inciting ‘insurrection’
A judge in Illinois has ruled that former US President Donald Trump cannot appear on the state’s ballot for the 2024 presidential election.
The ruling is based on a provision in the Illinois Election Code that prohibits candidates from seeking office if they have engaged in an insurrection or rebellion against the United States.
Wednesday’s surprise ruling stems from a lawsuit filed by a group of Illinois voters who argued that Trump is ineligible to hold office due to his actions related to the January 6, 2021 attack on the US Capitol.
Cook County circuit judge Tracie Porter agreed with the plaintiffs, finding that Trump's actions on that day amounted to “insurrection” and that he is therefore disqualified from holding office under the Illinois Constitution.
“The Illinois State Board of Election shall remove Donald J Trump from the ballot for the General Primary Election on March 19, 2024, or cause any votes cast for him to be suppressed,” she said.
Trump is accused by Democrats and some Republicans of inciting a “mob of his supporters” to storm the US Capitol while refusing to acknowledge the legitimacy of the 2020 presidential election, which he lost to Joe Biden.
The judge also found that Trump’s actions violated the 14th Amendment of the US Constitution, which prohibits any person who has engaged in insurrection from holding federal or state office.
A similar decision by a judge in Colorado is currently pending before the US Supreme Court.
Trump has vowed to appeal the ruling in Illinois, and the case is likely to be tied up in the courts for some time.
The ruling is potentially a significant setback for Trump's presidential ambitions.
Illinois is a key swing state, and Trump -- the front-runner Republican presidential candidate-- would likely need to win the state in order to have a chance of winning the presidency.
The ruling also sets a precedent that could make it more difficult for Trump to run for office in other states.
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