Yet another state – this time, Massachusetts – has rejected claims that former President Donald Trump is ineligible to be on GOP presidential primary ballots because he participated in an “insurrection” on Jan 6, 2021.
If he had in fact participated in an insurrection, he could not run for president because of the 14th Amendment’s insurrection ban. However, it’s important to note that he has not been charged with or convicted of inciting or participating in such an event.
The commission didn’t look into the 14th Amendment claims; instead, their vote was procedural, and they determined that they didn’t have jurisdiction to address the matter. In their arguments last week, meanwhile, the challengers claimed the constitutional issues should prevent the former president from being considered for the office:
“We believe that Mr. Trump’s candidacy for this office and placement on the Massachusetts ballot violates the Constitution, so we are challenging the constitutionality,” said Shannon Liss-Riordan, an attorney for the challengers. “It is the job of this commission to hear objections to the legality of placement of candidates on the ballot.”