Trump says US will become a ‘dictatorship’ if his name is removed from ballot

Trump raises alarm over legal battles to exclude him from 2024 presidential ballot.

Former President Donald Trump is raising alarm over the potential consequences of ongoing legal battles to exclude him from the 2024 presidential ballot in several states, citing the 14th Amendment. This week, a Colorado court began hearing a case filed by six Republican and unaffiliated voters aiming to prevent Trump from running for the White House in their state. A similar case is scheduled to start in the Minnesota Supreme Court later this week.

SIOUX CITY, IOWA - OCTOBER 29: Republican presidential candidate former U.S. President Donald Trump speaks to guests during a campaign event at the Orpheum Theater on October 29, 2023 in Sioux City, Iowa. On Saturday, Trump joined other Republican presidential candidates when he addressed Republican Jewish Coalition's annual conference where his one-time vice president, Mike Pence, announced he was suspending his campaign. (Getty Images via AFP)

The legal controversy centers around Section three of the 14th Amendment, which bars individuals from holding public office if they have previously sworn to uphold the Constitution and later engaged in "insurrection or rebellion." Some legal scholars argue that Trump's alleged role in the events of January 6, 2021, when hundreds of his supporters stormed the Capitol in an attempt to overturn the 2020 presidential election results, could be construed as an "insurrection." However, this interpretation remains a subject of debate.

Responding to the ongoing legal battles, Trump delivered a fiery video statement, emphasizing the significance of the 2024 election. He stated, "Our country is being destroyed by people who have no idea what they're doing or, even worse, they may want to see it destroyed. If this election is rigged and stolen, our country will not survive. We could become a dictatorship."

In the Colorado lawsuit, the plaintiffs argue that Trump's actions on January 6, 2021, violated the 14th Amendment, stating, "By instigating this unprecedented assault on the American Constitutional order, Trump violated his oath and disqualified himself under the 14th Amendment from holding public office, including the office of the president."

Judge Sarah Wallace, overseeing the Colorado case, has rejected multiple attempts by Trump and his allies to have the case dismissed. She aims to reach a verdict before Thanksgiving.

Trump's close ally, Steve Bannon, predicted on his War Room podcast that Judge Wallace would rule against Trump, potentially recommending his removal from the 2024 ballot. Bannon stated, "This only makes Trump more powerful."