Staff Reports
The Illinois State Board of Elections gave former President Donald Trump an 8-0 win, making sure he would be on the state's primary vote. This was a big win for the #MAGA movement. This clear decision comes at a very important time, as the U.S. Supreme Court is about to decide if Trump is qualified to be president after what happened on January 6.
After quickly posting on Truth Social that he was thankful for Illinois, Trump praised the State Board of Elections for standing up to the "Radical Left Lunatics." He stressed how united their vote was and told Illinois how much he appreciated them in his usual direct way.
Trump Celebrates After Huge Victory: 'I Love Illinois'…..https://t.co/woVj8wzl3X
— ????Josh Dunlap???? ULTRA-MAGA (@JDunlap1974) January 31, 2024
As this event happened, a retired judge and a Republican hearing officer were raising worries about Trump's constitutional eligibility by citing claims of "engaging in insurrection." Even with these worries, the board decided to let the courts make the final choice.
As Republican Judge Clark Erickson led the board, he stressed the limits set by a previous case from the Illinois Supreme Court. He made it clear that the Elections Board was not in a position to do a full constitutional analysis. He said that the board should think about taking Trump off the vote if they had a different view of their power.
The case that the U.S. Supreme Court will hear on February 8 will be the first time that the court has had to decide how to interpret Section 3 of the 14th Amendment, which says that people who are part in an uprising can't hold office. The possible effects could be huge and have a big effect on Trump's standing. This could set a standard for future cases like this.
The tensions have grown even more since the Colorado Supreme Court said Trump was not qualified to run for office, and Maine's Democratic Secretary of State Shenna Bellows said he violated the 14th Amendment. These decisions are still pending before the Supreme Court. They have caused legal fights and debates among Republicans in Congress, who say that these decisions limit their constitutional rights.
As the primary season heats up, Trump's lead among Republicans stays strong, even though he is still facing threats in more than 15 states. The Supreme Court will also look over a decision against three protesters who were accused of blocking the certification of Electoral College votes. This case is closely related to the charges made against Trump by Jack Smith, the special counsel for the Biden Justice Department.
Now that the stage is set, the coming weeks will be full of high-stakes judicial and political drama about Trump's eligibility and how the 14th Amendment should be interpreted. Stay tuned for more news about this exciting story!
