Jeff Charles
libertynation.com
Socio-political correspondent at LibertyNation.com. A self-confessed news and political junkie, Jeff’s writing has been featured in Small Business Trends, Business2Community and the Huffington Post. Born in Southern California and having experienced the 1992 LA Riots up close and personal, Jeff’s insights are informed by his experiences as a black man and a conservative.
If a recent report is any indication, Americans won’t be getting a reprieve from politics after the midterm elections are concluded. Amid soaring inflation rates, surging crime and an ongoing migrant crisis, it seems all eyes will be looking forward to 2024. Looming over the political backdrop is former President Donald Trump, who is expected to announce his third run for the presidency.
If this turns out to be the case, the presidential campaign will begin in earnest. On the left, at least one group is preparing to employ a long-shot measure to stop Trump from seeking office again. But will their efforts be enough to dissuade him from making another run at the White House?
Will Donald Trump Make the Big Announcement?
A number of outlets are reporting that Trump is getting ready to unleash some big news. “Sources in the former president’s political orbit tell Fox News that a potential announcement could possibly occur during the week starting on Monday, Nov 14 – after the midterm elections.” But the sources caution that things are “fluid”, Fox News reports. And if that weren’t enough, hints are landing from someone who really should know.
“I will very, very, very probably do it again, OK? Very, very, very probably,” Trump said at a rally in Sioux City, Iowa. “Get ready. That’s all I’m telling you. Very soon. Get ready. Get ready.”
Other sources state that November 14 is a possible announcement date that has been discussed by the top team. According to one outlet, Trump’s advisers have suggested making the announcement from one of the swing states won by President Joe Biden. Others advised him to declare his intent to run in Florida, where he enjoys a high level of popularity among Republican voters.
What Happens If Trump Announces?
If the reports are to be believed, Trump won’t just make waves when he announces, he will cause a series of political tsunamis on the airwaves and interwebs. We can expect to see the activist media hearken back to the days of 2015, when they covered him almost nonstop. There will be the usual hysteria over the prospect of having Orange Man Bad™ back in the Oval Office.
It might also determine who, if anyone, would be willing to challenge him for the Republican nomination. Much talk has been made of Florida Gov Ron DeSantis, who has become a superstar on the right. He is often touted as being an upgraded version of the former president, possessing his strengths without the baggage.
Such an announcement will also cause Democrats to consider who they might put up against the former president. Would they dare to push a rematch between Biden and Trump? Or will they attempt to coax Joe Biden to ride off into the sunset while they choose a younger, more formidable opponent?
Can They Stop Him?
On the left, finding a suitable candidate to take on their favorite orange boogeyman will probably not be the only course of action. Some are seeking ways to prevent Trump from running again. Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics (CREW) in Washington published a letter to the former president warning that it would “pursue your disqualification” if he announces another run.
The organization’s president and CEO, Noah Bookbinder, noted in the letter that Section 3 of the 14th Amendment “provides that no individual who engages in insurrection or rebellion against the Constitution – after having previously taken an oath to support it – shall hold any federal or state office.”
This particular provision was created to prohibit Confederate officials from serving in the government after the conclusion of the Civil War. “CREW believes you are barred from holding office under Section 3 of the Fourteenth Amendment because you engaged in insurrection against the Constitution you swore to defend,” the letter reads.
“On January 6, 2021, an insurrection that you incited culminated in a violent attack on the same hallowed grounds where Congress was meeting to certify the Electoral College results of the 2020 presidential election pursuant to the Twelfth Amendment and the Electoral Count Act,” Bookbinder continued.
CREW is threatening to file a lawsuit to ensure that the former president’s name does not appear on the ballot.
Who Can Stop Trump?
Nevertheless, it is worth noting that CREW’s strategy, which has been unsuccessfully used against other Republican officials like Rep Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA), and former Rep Madison Cawthown, is not likely to bear fruit. But it is an indicator that the left will use any means at their disposal to keep their most feared enemy from haunting their nightmares again. Either way, it seems clear the fight for 2024 is set to begin sooner than anyone might even have anticipated.
