A federal judge appointed by then-President Barack Obama has given Donald Trump a big legal win in an ongoing effort by the political establishment to keep him off the 2024 ballot under a provision of the 14th Amendment.
Trump, presently considered the strong frontrunner for the GOP nomination next year, has faced criticism from various groups and certain GOP voters. They allege that he incited the January 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol Building, an event they characterize as an “insurrection,” which they say disqualifies him from holding any elected office under the post-Civil War amendment.
Up to now, however, none of the efforts have proven successful. On Tuesday, conservative lawyer and Republican Party official Harmeet Dhillon highlighted on the X platform that an effort to disqualify Trump from the ballot in Arizona was rejected by a judge appointed by the 44th president.
“Happy to announce that yet another federal district court, this time in Arizona, has dismissed a challenge to [Donald Trump] being on the ballot for 2024,” Dhillon wrote. “The court made short work of the standing arguments in the case. Congrats to our client & my [Dhillon Law] colleagues, again!”
Happy to announce that yet another federal district court, this time in Arizona, has dismissed a challenge to @realDonaldTrump being on the ballot for 2024. The court made short work of the standing arguments in the case. Congrats to our client & my @dhillonlaw colleagues, again! pic.twitter.com/jIIBRpKfwP
— Harmeet K. Dhillon (@pnjaban) December 5, 2023
U.S. District Judge Douglas L. Rayes ruled against the plaintiff, John Anthony Castro, a little-known GOP presidential contender and Texas lawyer who filed similar actions in 27 states.
“His suits have argued that Trump’s position on the ballot in alleged defiance of the 14th Amendment has unfairly impacted the chances of his own campaign. His argument has not yet found success, and his suits have also been dismissed in Florida, Idaho, Maine, New Hampshire, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Utah, and Washington, D.C.,” Newsweek reported.
In his ruling, Rayes wrote that Castro “is not genuinely competing with Trump for votes or contributions, and therefore is not suffering a concrete competitive injury.”
