A ‘Parade of Horribles’: Trump Threatens of ”Chaos and Bedlam” if the Supreme Court Removes Him From the Presidential Ballot

With a threat of “chaos and bedlam,” former President Donald Trump urged the Supreme Court to swiftly stop efforts to prevent him from running for president.

Promise to Unleash Chaos and Bedlam

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This was the argument that Trump made in his initial court filing, which was submitted before the oral arguments on February 8. He worried that these acts “threaten to disenfranchise tens of millions of Americans and which promise to unleash chaos and bedlam.”

Other States Could “Follow Colorado’s Lead”

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Other states could “follow Colorado’s lead and omit the presumptive Republican presidential nominee off their ballots,” according to a warning from Trump’s campaign. This comes after a landmark decision by a Colorado court that may bar him from running for office in the state due to his participation in the events that took place at the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021.

Trump Must Pay Journalist E. Jean Carroll $83.3 Million

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About half a billion dollars in fines from two civil trials in New York have been served on Trump in recent months. The first judge decided that Trump had to pay $83.3 million to journalist E. Jean Carroll for slandering her, while the second judge decided that Trump had to pay more than $450 million for lying about the worth of his assets to get better loans.

Johnson and McConnell Rally in Support of Trump

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Numerous Republican politicians have joined forces with House Speaker Mike Johnson and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell to back Trump before the Supreme Court. In their friend-of-the-court brief, they argued that the Colorado Supreme Court’s decision to enforce the Constitution’s “insurrectionist ban” without Congressional approval “severely intrudes” on Congressional authorities. They issued a warning that this precedent would provide state authorities with the authority to falsely accuse opponents of revolt.

A ‘Parade of Horribles’

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A group of Republican secretaries of state have filed an appeal with the court to stop their counterparts from rejecting candidates, threatening a “parade of horribles” if the decision is upheld. The secretaries of state from Missouri, Alabama, Arkansas, Idaho, Indiana, Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, Ohio, Tennessee, and West Virginia voiced concerns in their brief over the possibility of “abuse” if partisan secretaries of state had the only authority to impose Section Three.

Disqualification for a Ballot

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“A disqualification decision would presumably be unreviewable and made without any of the constitutional protections of due process that our system takes for granted in much less significant moments. If disqualification from receiving a social security check merits some constitutional protection, perhaps disqualification for a ballot likewise does,” the brief said.

A 14th Amendment Provision

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This endorsement takes place in the context of the Colorado Supreme Court’s ruling, which disqualified Trump from the state’s primary ballot by using a 14th Amendment clause to prevent him from running for office again. The ruling in Maine, along with another one identical to it, is on hold because of Trump’s ongoing appeal.

A Democrat Intends to Place Trump on Cali’s Primary Ballot

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The Supreme Court’s judgment in the Colorado case has delayed Maine’s ruling. There is a tremendous need to act quickly, preferably before there are an excessive number of primary election battles. However, in other states, other results have been observed. For example, California’s Democratic Secretary of State Shirley Weber plans to include Trump on the state’s primary ballot, while supreme courts in Michigan and Minnesota have decided to maintain Trump’s inclusion on their ballots.

Trump’s Legal Team’s Argument

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The legal team representing Donald Trump contends that previous presidents are not covered by the 14th Amendment’s insurrection clause. Furthermore, they claim that Trump did not “engage in” any activities that would be considered “insurrection,” even if that were relevant.

Colorado Supreme Court Divided on the Matter of Trump’s Disqualification

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Conversely, the Colorado Supreme Court, which split 4–3 on the issue of Trump’s disqualification, declared that the evidence amply demonstrated Trump’s purpose in supporting or furthering the illegal goal of the insurrectionists, which is to block the orderly transfer of power.

He Exhorted Them to Fight

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“He exhorted them to fight to prevent the certification of the 2020 presidential election,” the majority wrote. “He personally took action to try to stop the certification. And for many hours, he and his supporters succeeded in halting that process.”