Longtime political analyst Mark Halperin has warned that efforts to prevent President-elect Donald Trump from taking office will intensify as the inauguration date draws nearer. Halperin suggests that advocacy campaigns derailing Trump’s potential return to the White House will likely escalate, reflecting deep political divisions and desperation among his opponents. As Trump’s support base remains resolute, the push to block his path highlights the ongoing battle over the nation's direction and the lengths some are willing to go to challenge his influence.
In a column for The Hill, far-left attorneys Evan Davis and David Schult claimed that Congress could still block Trump from taking office on January 20, 2025, by efforts directed at turning away electoral votes on January 6. They argued he could be disqualified from the presidency under the 14th Amendment.
The Constitution provides that an oath-breaking insurrectionist is ineligible to be president. This is the plain wording of Section 3 of the 14th Amendment to the Constitution. “No person shall … hold any office, civil or military, under the United States, or under any state, who, having previously taken an oath … to support the Constitution of the United States, shall have engaged in insurrection or rebellion against the same, or given aid or comfort to the enemies thereof.” This disability can be removed by a two-thirds vote in each House. The evidence of Donald Trump’s engaging in such insurrection is overwhelming. The matter has been decided in three separate forums, two of which were fully contested with the active participation of Trump’s counsel.
Halperin suggested to American Agenda host Jessie Jane Duff that Democrats have been in shock over Trump’s victory since the election results were confirmed. But he said that as the initial shock wears off, more people from the left will join forces to prevent the president-elect from assuming office.
Duff asked Halperin what he thought the motive for Davis and Schult was to write their opinion piece, to which he replied that it “reflects a point of view that’s held by tens of millions of Americans.”
“I think that you’re gonna see more manifestations like this as we get closer to inauguration day,” he continued, adding that The Hill also “likes to get attention, so that could be part of it.”
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“And I think as the reality of January 20th gets closer, I think you’ll see more opinionizing just like this,” Halperin said, referring to The Hill column.
The liberal lawyer's column was published nearly a year after the Supreme Court rejected Colorado’s attempt to eliminate Trump from the state’s 2024 ballot due to Congress, stating that it is not “responsible for enforcing Section 3 against federal officeholders and candidates.”
Section 3 of the 14th Amendment declares that no person may hold elected office if they “have engaged in insurrection or rebellion against [the United States], or given aid or comfort to its enemies.” However, this restriction can be lifted if Congress votes to remove it by a two-thirds majority in both chambers. According to David and Schult, “Democrats need to take a stand against Electoral College votes for a person disqualified by the Constitution from holding office unless and until this disability is removed.”
