U.S Politics

Poll: Americans Supports Banishing of Trump Under 14th Amendment

A clear majority of voters expressed their willingness to support the disqualification of former President Donald Trump from holding public office again under the 14th Amendment to the United States Constitution.

According to a poll conducted by Zach Montellaro of Politico on September 29, 2023, this development comes as political tensions continue to simmer, with the former president remaining a polarizing figure in American politics.

The 14th Amendment, ratified in 1868, includes a little-known provision in Section 3 that states, “No person shall be a Senator or Representative in Congress, or elector of President and Vice President, or hold any office, civil or military, under the United States, or under any state, who, having previously taken an oath, as a member of Congress, or as an officer of the United States, or as a member of any state legislature, or as an executive or judicial officer of any state, 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.”

The poll, which surveyed a diverse group of registered voters across the political spectrum, found that 57% of respondents would support disqualifying Donald Trump from future public office, citing his actions leading up to and during the January 6th Capitol insurrection as the primary reason. Only 37% of respondents opposed disqualification, with the remaining 6% undecided.

The findings revealed a significant partisan divide, with a vast majority of Democrats (82%) in favor of disqualification and most Republicans (69%) opposed to it. Independents, however, leaned toward disqualification, with 54% expressing support for invoking the 14th Amendment against Trump.

The poll also delved into the reasons behind voters’ positions. Many of those in favor of disqualification cited concerns about Trump’s alleged role in inciting the violence at the Capitol, arguing that such actions constituted support for an insurrection against the Constitution.

They pointed to his repeated claims of election fraud and his public statements encouraging his supporters to “fight like hell” on January 6th as evidence of his involvement.

Conversely, Trump’s supporters argued that his words and actions were protected under the First Amendment, emphasizing the need for free speech rights.

They contended that the former president did not directly incite violence and that disqualification would be an overreach that sets a dangerous precedent for future political figures.

Legal experts have been divided on the applicability of the 14th Amendment in this context, and the matter remains largely untested in the courts.

Some constitutional scholars argue that the amendment was primarily designed to target Confederates who had taken oaths of office and later engaged in rebellion against the Union during the Civil War and may not be applicable to a former president.

The poll’s results are likely to reignite discussions about the potential consequences of invoking the 14th Amendment to disqualify a former president.

Congress would need to make such a determination, and it is unclear whether there is sufficient political will to pursue such a course of action, given the deep partisan divisions on the issue.

As the debate over the disqualification of Donald Trump continues to play out in both the political and legal arenas, these poll results underscore the enduring polarization surrounding the former president and the extent to which the events of January 6th continue to reverberate throughout American politics.

The question of whether Trump should be disqualified from future public office remains a contentious and divisive issue that will likely shape the political landscape in the years to come.