How the 14th Amendment could impact Trump's 2024 presidential bid – KOAT New Mexico
GOP presidential candidate, John Anthony Castro, filed a suit to have former president Donald Trump removed from New Mexico ballots
GOP presidential candidate, John Anthony Castro, filed a suit to have former president Donald Trump removed from New Mexico ballots
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GOP presidential candidate, John Anthony Castro, filed a suit to have former president Donald Trump removed from New Mexico ballots
Video above: KOAT interviewed 2024 Republican presidential candidate John Anthony Castro on his decision to file at least 25 lawsuits across the United States, including New Mexico, petitioning former President Donald Trump to be removed from New Mexico ballots.
We reached out to Trump’s Attorney, Mark Caruso, but he is unable to comment on pending litigation.
However, he referred us to the ‘Motion to Dismiss’ filed against Castro’s petition, to comment on the case, as well as, Trump’s political advisor, Steven Cheung. We have not heard back from Cheung. Republican party of New Mexico chairman, Steve Pearce, weighed in as well as KOAT’s political expert, Brian Sanderoff.
Republican presidential candidate John Anthony Castro filed multiple lawsuits across the United States, including New Mexico, declaring former president Donald Trump ineligible to run for president at this year’s presidential election. Castro cites section 3 of the 14th Amendment, telling KOAT he believes Trump instigated the U.S. Capitol attack on Jan. 6, 2021. Trump has not been convicted or charged for his alleged role in the U.S. Capitol riot.
More: Federal lawsuit filed to remove Donald Trump from New Mexico ballots
“We have to trust the framers of the United States constitution, that they foresaw people, like Trump, are an existential threat to United States democracy and that’s the reason they included section 3 of the 14th amendment, in the constitution,” Castro told KOAT. “This campaign is based on principle. It’s me standing behind the courage of my conviction. I truly believe that this man is a threat to American democracy. You can try to put lipstick on a pig, but I mean, it is what it is.”
Related: Maine bars Trump from ballot as US Supreme Court weighs state authority block former president
“A lot of people run on different aspects of the Constitution. You can run on the 2nd Amendment right to bear arms— you can run on the 14th Amendment right to equality. I’m running on section 3 of the 14th Amendment that I believe this should be enforced and we need to protect American democracy from this wannabe tyrant,” Castro said. “You were trying to stop the democratic process, the peaceful transfer of power and when they weren’t getting their way, they realized it wasn’t going to happen, they bashed the windows, they jumped through the doors, they pepper-sprayed.”
Castro told KOAT he would like to expand on public education from Pre-K to PHD and solidifying energy independence.
“This is a really important issue, both politically and legally,” Sanderoff said.
KOAT Political Expert Brian Sanderoff believes the case will ultimately head to the United States Supreme Court for a final decision.
“Many states are grappling with the issue now of whether or not to disqualify Donald Trump from being on the ballot due to the insurrection clause of the 14th Amendment. Lots of legal suits have been filed in various states to question whether Donald Trump should be on the ballot in their respective states,” KOAT political expert Brian Sanderoff said.
Related: Trump asks US Supreme court to review Colorado ruling barring him from ballot over Jan. 6 attack
“Ultimately, I think that the United States Supreme Court will make the final determination of whether or not, an individual state, can disqualify Donald Trump from being on the ballot based on the 14th amendment,” Sanderoff said. “Do individual states have the legal authority to interpret the 14th Amendment of the United States Constitution to disqualify someone to be on the ballot? That’s one of the arguments Donald Trump’s lawyers are making, that individual states, don’t have the legal authority to do this.”
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“I don’t think he represents republican ideas or values at all. Our constitution gives us the right to due process, the right to defend ourselves,” Pearce told KOAT.
“Not only has Mr. Trump not been convicted. He hasn’t even been charged with insurrection, that’s because there was none. I was in the capitol for 14 years. They have security standing there, armed guards, armed military guards with semi-automatic weapons. I would tell you if there was actually an insurrection, you would have had people shooting their guns,” Pearce told KOAT. “You have to ask if he’s really Republican, and why is he doing this? The fact that the Maine secretary of state convicted him without a trial— the smacks of third world country politics.”
Pearce questioned Castro’s alleged tweets in March 2023, about Trump, but KOAT would need to confirm before posting.
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Donald Trump’s attorney, Mark J. Caruso, confirmed with KOAT that he is representing him in New Mexico. He told KOAT, U.S. District Court Judge Matthew Garcia held a hearing with argument on Trump’s “Motion to Dismiss” Mr. Castro’s petition. He is currently waiting for Judge Garcia’s written opinion.
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