'Will it help him?' Internet mocks Trump as Illinois board keeps ex-prez on primary ballot, refuses to ban him over Capitol riot

SPRINGFIELD, ILLINOIS: On Tuesday, January 30, the Illinois election board decided to include former President Donald Trump on the state's primary ballot.

This decision came a week before the US Supreme Court is set to hear arguments on whether or not Trump's role in the attack on the US Capitol on January 6th, 2021, disqualifies him from the US presidency, according to a report from the New York Post.

The board, composed of four Democrats and four Republicans, made a unanimous ruling after its hearing officer, a retired judge and Republican, found a "preponderance of evidence" indicating that Trump is ineligible to run for president due to his violation of a constitutional ban on those who "engaged in insurrection" from holding public office.

However, the hearing officer recommended that the board let the courts make the final decision.

The eight-member board ultimately agreed with the hearing officer’s lawyer's recommendation to allow Trump to remain on the ballot, as it did not possess the authority to determine whether or not he had violated the US Constitution.

What did authorities contend?

Numerous legal cases have been filed across the United States, seeking to prevent Donald Trump from assuming the presidency under Section 3 of the Constitution.

Of the various cases brought forth, only the Colorado lawsuit has achieved success in the court system.

However, other courts and election officials have avoided the contentious issue, citing a lack of jurisdiction to rule on this obscure constitutional matter.

Moreover, Maine's Democratic Secretary of State has also ruled that Trump violated the 14th Amendment and is therefore ineligible for the presidency.

Nevertheless, her ruling remains in limbo until the Supreme Court weighs in on the matter.

Section 3 of the 14th Amendment was created in 1868 with the intention of prohibiting former Confederates from holding public office after the Civil War.

However, since then, it has been rarely utilized, and as of today, the nation’s highest court has yet to pass judgment on a case related to this particular amendment.

Illinois election board member Catherine McCrory prefaced her vote by saying, “I want it to be clear that this Republican believes that there was an insurrection on Jan. 6. There’s no doubt in my mind that he manipulated, instigated, aided and abetted an insurrection on Jan. 6.”

However, McCrory acknowledged that the board lacked jurisdiction to enforce that decision.

The attorneys representing former President Donald Trump have put forward an argument that the provision regarding his impeachment is not clear and is ambiguous.

They claim that the events of January 6th do not meet the legal definition of an insurrection, and even if it did, they argued that Trump was merely exercising his First Amendment rights and, therefore, is not responsible for the incident.

They also assert that the disqualification from holding office should not apply to presidents.

The issue was evaded by the members of the Illinois election board who concluded that their powers, as defined by state law, are limited to the assessment of the veracity of the fundamental paperwork filled out by candidates.

The sole legal recourse for the removal of Donald Trump would be the establishment of a false statement in his oath, made under penalty of perjury, attesting to his eligibility to hold the office he sought.

Illinois election board member, Republican Jack Vrett, expressed his concern over the establishment of a potentially perilous precedent, noting that numerous election boards throughout the state follow the lead of the primary board.

“If we allowed them to say, ‘Don’t just look at the papers, look at the underlying allegations', that would open a floodgate,” Vrett opined.

“Every possible school board candidate would seek to challenge the qualification of their rival," Vrett noted, “based on some alleged criminal conduct.”

Internet reacts as Illinois allows Donald Trump to be on state ballot

People on X voiced their reactions and apprehensions surrounding the state election board’s decision to let the 77-year-old GOP frontrunner stay on the primary ballot until the US Supreme Court says otherwise.

One X user remarked, “Illinois for the win! Wow, there's 4 words rarely strung together."

Another user quipped, "Keep him on all ballots, that way his defeat in November will be all that more enjoyable."

"Okay, but will it help him, that's the question," another user asked.

One user wrote, "With any luck, there will be no election due to the cancellation of the candidate overwhelmingly the choice for half the country."

"Good move on their part. Let the voters decide. That's what democracy is about," another X user remarked.

One user tweeted, "If the Supreme Court upholds the Constitution and the 14th amendment the r*pist with 91 felonies will not be on the ballot anywhere ever again."

This article contains remarks made on the Internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online.