Disqualifying Trump would be disastrous for American democracy.
The big news in American politics is the pending legal question regarding whether or not to disqualify Donald Trump from standing for president under the 14th amendment. As you might expect, I think doing so would be wildly anti-democratic. Furthermore, the fact that the American judicial system is so intent on litigating whether or not the country’s most popular politician is eligible to stand for elected office while the election season is kicking off really strengthens Trump’s case that the elites in the dreaded Establishment is out to get him.
Democracy is, as I have written about before, a radical ideology built on the foundational belief that regular citizens don’t just have a right to weigh in on important issue, but that they are capable and informed enough to make good decisions. The legal case surrounding Trump is contentious and complex, but the political case is not. Disqualifying a popular politician with a good chance of beating the incumbent president in an election year is a big deal and not something a healthy democracy does. Democrats argue that Trump is a threat to democracy, which is undoubtedly true, but that does not justify anti-democratic tactics in response.
It is also worth noting the radicalising effect disqualifying Trump would have. Why bother with elections when the opposition is using the institutional power of the state against their political rivals? If the Establishment will use the legal system to go after Trump then the system is rotten to the core; a change in leadership is not enough. Much as we may dislike Trump’s politics, policy, and personality the fact of the matter is that any legal proceeding that takes him out of the presidential race essentially martyrs him. American politics is stuck between a rock and a hard place. I fully understand that everyone should be equal before the law, but I think the spirit of the law, i.e. that people from all walks of life, even the powerful should be held accountable for their actions, is more important than the letter of the law. But if forced to choose between democracy and following the law, I think democracy is more important. As I’ve argued before, the cleanest option would be to simply pardon Trump, but that is exceedingly unlikely.
I usually refrain from announcements of doom but I think America has really allowed itself to end up in a really bad position this time. There is a real risk of political violence if Trump is disqualified, and there is a real risk of democratic decay is disqualified. At the same time there is a real risk of democratic decay if Trump is elected. The talk about disqualification is a distraction, Trump is a political problem and can only be dealt with through a political process.
If you liked this post you can read a previous post about 2024 predictions here, or the rest of my writings here. It'd mean a lot to me if you recommended the blog to a friend or coworker. Come back next Monday for a new post!
I've always been interested in politics, economics, and the interplay between. The blog is a place for me to explore different ideas and concepts relating to economics or politics, be that national or international. The goal for the blog is to make you think; to provide new perspectives.
Written by Karl Johansson
Cover photo by Rosemary Ketchum from Pexels, edited by Karl Johansson
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