Opinion | There will be no turning back if Donald Trump succeeds – The Washington Post
E.J. Dionne Jr.’s Feb. 5 op-ed, “Yes, Trump should be thrown off the ballot,” provided clarity. Section 3 of the 14th Amendment was directed against the conduct former president Donald Trump engaged in. Mr. Trump disqualified himself. Alleging an antidemocratic result in removing him from the ballot is subverting the law to fit Mr. Trump’s delusions and blatant lies.
There will be no turning back if Mr. Trump succeeds in getting reelected after orchestrating an insurrection. The horrors on Jan. 6, 2021, were perpetrated by a power-starved authoritarian. Extreme language is fitting when the consequences are so tragic. Mr. Trump’s disconnect from reality should not lead to the death of the constitutional democracy we cherish. He’s not worth it, and neither is anyone else who uses an insurrection to stay in power after being an unequivocal loser.
The Supreme Court should maintain the sanctity of our system. You don’t need to have a law degree to see the truth. Mr. Trump has earned his fate: oblivion.
Steven A. Ludsin, East Hampton, N.Y.
Bravo to E.J. Dionne Jr. for having the rare courage to change his mind and recognize that the 14th Amendment “was directed against precisely the conduct Trump engaged in” and therefore “legally disqualifies him from the presidency.”
Unfortunately, it seems clear that the conservative justices who dominate the Supreme Court will perform the legalistic backflips necessary to keep former president Donald Trump on the ballot, despite the utter clarity of the 14th Amendment.
But democracy might win out after all, even if the rule of law is being violated. My guess is millions of undecided and independent voters will be so shocked by the court’s machinations that it will provide yet another reason to vote against Mr. Trump and thus help prevent him from returning to the White House, as the law intended.
Paul Bledsoe, Arlington