An Illinois judge disqualifies Trump from voting for his support of the Capitol insurrection |

An unexpected court decision has disqualified Donald Trump from voting this Wednesday for his role in the Republican insurrection at the Capitol in January 2021. Cook County Circuit Judge Tracie Porter has agreed with the voters of the State who argued that the former president had to be disqualified in the primaries on March 19 and the presidential elections on November 5, in which he will likely face Democrat Joe Biden, for violating the anti-insurrection clause of the 14th Amendment to the United States Constitution. United in instigating the violent assault on the Capitol by a horde of their supporters.

The judge has, however, delayed the entry into force of the ruling pending the appeal of the former president and Republican candidate and the resolution of a similar case, that of Colorado. It will be the US Supreme Court, with a conservative majority supported precisely during his presidential term, and which has already heard the arguments related to Trump’s eligibility to vote on February 8, who will determine the legality of the measure adopted in Colorado . Porter also refers to any possible appeal by Trump’s lawyers, as he already did following the Colorado challenge. His team did not take a second to announce the appeal. “It is an unconstitutional ruling that we will appeal quickly,” a spokesperson for his campaign said this followingnoon.

“The Illinois State Board of Elections will remove Donald J. Trump from the ballot for the general primary election on March 19, 2024, or cause votes cast in his favor to be suppressed,” reads the judge’s ruling. Her decision comes a month following a challenge to Trump’s candidacy was dismissed by the Illinois State Board of Elections. In a unanimous, bipartisan vote, the election board dismissed the case because it said it did not have jurisdiction over the matter.

Illinois is the third state in which Trump is seen expelled of the ballot, following Colorado and Maine, under Section 3 of the 14th Amendment to the Constitution. But those decisions were put on hold pending the appeal of the Colorado case to the United States Supreme Court, and the resolution of Trump’s own appeal in the two previous cases.

Section 3 prohibits anyone from holding public office who swore an oath to uphold the U.S. Constitution—as he swore on the Bible when he became president in 2017—and then “engaged in insurrection or rebellion once morest the same, or rendered aid thereto.” or comfort his enemies.” Trump’s harangue to his supporters that preceded the assault on the headquarters of Congress was based on unfounded accusations of electoral fraud in 2020 with the aim of preventing the certification of Biden’s electoral victory.

Trump gave an incendiary speech that day, encouraging his followers to go to the Capitol and “fight like hell.” Afterwards, he inhibited himself for hours and, despite still being acting president of the country, he did not act on requests for intervention to stop their acts of violence.

The Supreme Court is currently weighing Trump’s challenge to his disqualification in Colorado. The Washington justices were skeptical regarding the decision during oral arguments in the case, expressing concern regarding states taking sweeping steps that might affect national elections. The composition of the Supreme Court, with nine members, gives him an advantage: six conservatives—some appointed by himself— once morest three liberals, which is why it is expected to reject by a large majority the arguments requesting his disqualification.

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