The 14th Amendment's Potential Impact on Trump's Candidacy

The 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, which disqualifies individuals who engaged in "insurrection or rebellion" against the U.S. from holding office, is at the center of a debate regarding former President Donald Trump's eligibility for the 2024 election. Trump opponents argue that his actions surrounding the 2020 election and the events of January 6, 2021, when his supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol, should disqualify him from appearing on the ballot. While legal scholars and voters' rights groups have raised the issue, actually keeping Trump off the ballot is unlikely. The Supreme Court may need to settle the matter, as individual state officials could make their own determinations based on state statutes. The clause has rarely been invoked in the past, but recent events have brought it into focus.