Missouri Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft, a Republican official, has threatened to take a page out of the Democrats’ playbook and potentially disqualify President Joe Biden from the ballot in 2024 using the 14th Amendment. This threat comes in response to the ongoing efforts by Democrats and anti-Trump Republicans to remove former President Donald Trump from ballots in various states using the same constitutional provision.
Ashcroft expressed his strong disapproval of the recent developments in Colorado and Maine, characterizing them as detrimental to our republic. While he anticipates that the Supreme Court will overturn these decisions, he underscored the readiness of Secretaries of State to take action to ensure that the same legal standard is applied consistently, whether it pertains to former President Donald Trump or President Joe Biden.
In his post on social media, Ashcroft indicated that if the Supreme Court does not overturn these disqualifications, Republican officials in other states may apply the same legal standard to President Biden. He believes that the new legal standard should be applied equally to both Biden and Trump.
Ashcroft’s comments came shortly after it was announced that the U.S. Supreme Court will review Colorado’s decision to remove Trump from the ballot, with oral arguments expected to begin in February. Ashcroft has confidence that the Supreme Court will strike down the use of the 14th Amendment for such purposes but believes that a failure to do so could lead to chaos.
He plans to file an amicus brief with the Supreme Court to caution against allowing Colorado’s disqualification to stand and to highlight the potential consequences of this approach. Ashcroft expressed concerns about the tit-for-tat battles between states using the 14th Amendment to disqualify candidates, leading to further political division and tension.
Ashcroft also outlined his rationale for potentially disqualifying President Biden, citing actions related to border security and Vice President Kamala Harris’s support for individuals involved in protests following George Floyd’s murder. He argued that these actions could be framed as insurrection under the 14th Amendment.
Ultimately, Ashcroft’s warning underscores the potential for escalating political battles if both parties begin to exploit the 14th Amendment for electoral purposes, deviating from its original intent. The U.S. Supreme Court’s decision on the Colorado case is expected to have significant implications for how this provision is applied in future elections.
