Rosendale, Daines and the 14th Amendment
Once again, Donald Trump is having his days in court for the multitude of criminal offenses he has committed over the years. Twice impeached, Trump was set free by Republican collaborators in a blow to our democracy.
Perhaps the most profound crimes were those committed directly against the U.S. Constitution on January 6, 2021. Based on the January 6 Insurrection, judges in several jurisdictions are considering whether to bar Trump from holding future public office based on the clear language of the 14th Amendment.
The 14th Amendment states that, “No person shall … hold any office … having previously taken an oath … to support the Constitution of the United States, shall have engaged in insurrection or rebellion against the same, or given aid or comfort to the enemies thereof.”
Trump’s conspiracies against the United States, with regards to the 2020 elections, revolve around three strategies. Plan A was based on the discredited Independent Legislature Theory whereby states would ignore the results of elections. Hence, fake slates of electors were recruited to sow confusion and manipulate the Electoral College.
Plan B involved inciting a mob to directly attack Congress on Jan. 6 and possibly kill the vice-president and members of Congress. The ensuing chaos would provide a basis for instituting martial law and subverting the peaceful transition of power.
The third prong of Trump’s strategy was to propagate “The Big Lie”. This plan requires his supporters to harass and intimidate anyone who refutes the false narrative about a stolen election. Biden’s election victory would be cast in a light of illegitimacy. This strategy continues to manifest itself through attacks on election officials, voting procedures, voters themselves, and democratic lawmakers.
Building towards Jan. 6, 2021, each element of Trump’s conspiracies would be concurrently engaged to ensure his access to power. All three strategies are serious violations of our democratic principles of government. All three strategies represent direct attacks on the U.S. Constitution and are pertinent to the 14th Amendment.
The phrasing of the 14th Amendment also speaks to individuals who have “given aid or comfort to the enemies thereof.” This part of the 14th Amendment is inclusive to conspirators who openly support Trump, his methods and his madness.
These co-conspirators include Steve Daines and Matt Rosendale. Prior to Jan. 6, both of these politicians announced their intentions to not certify the electoral victory of President Biden. Without any shred of credible evidence, these hyper-partisan politicians were willing to ignore the will of the American people by refusing to recognize votes.
To his credit, Daines backed-down and certified Biden’s victory later that evening, affirming the need for a peaceful transition of power. But Rosendale has aligned himself with the most-radical wing of insurrectionists who do not support the Constitution when it doesn’t serve their personal interests.
Having participated in Trump’s Plan C of casting the election results as illegitimate, both Daines and Rosendale subsequently opposed any investigation into the Jan. 6 Insurrection. Rosendale even voted against awarding medals to the Capitol police officers who defended lawmakers during the Insurrection.
Standing up for the 14th Amendment, as it applies to Trump and his chumps, may be the most important stance for people concerned about the future of our country. Citizens of Montana should demand that Secretary of State Christi Jacobsen prevent these conspirators’ names from appearing on future ballots. Please stand with Democrats and true-Republicans like Liz Cheney, Pete Meijer, Jeff Flake, John Boehner, Marc Racicot, Mitt Romney, and many others who recognize the dangerous and maniacal threat posed by Trump.
– David Daniels
Missoula