Donald Trump raised a crucial issue before the Supreme Court

Correspondent in Washington

Trump won his first victory the day before Super Tuesday. Announced Monday morning, the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn the disqualifications declared against him in Colorado and Maine under 14^E An amendment to the constitution lifted one of the mortgages on his campaign. By validating his candidacy, the Supreme Court offered him a symbolic victory over his rivals, pending his potential win in primaries in about fifteen states this Tuesday.

The Supreme Court’s unprecedented decision, published on its website on Monday morning, also removes the last suspense of Super Tuesday. On this day, when most states vote together in primaries, including Colorado, Trump’s dominance of the Republican Party and his rival Joe Biden’s dominance of the Democratic Party should be confirmed. Mocrat.

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Bush vs. Twenty-four years after the Gore affair, the Supreme Court intervened in the election process, which led to George W. Bush to the presidency and deeply divided the country. She unanimously voted against Trump v. In Anderson, the Colorado Supreme Court decided to disqualify Trump, which upheld 14.^E

An amendment to the constitution barred anyone who led or supported a rebellion from holding federal office. The judges carefully avoided passing judgment on the facts of the allegations against the former president. They felt that the Union State was not empowered to decide on the application of the Constitution at the federal level.

According to his decision, Article III of 14^E Amendments may be requested by the State “”Unqualified persons who hold or attempt to hold office in this State.” Also “States do not have the power to apply Article 3 in respect of federal offices, particularly the presidency.” Nine judges concurred. While the five-judge majority held that this power rested exclusively with Congress, the minority opinion held that such clarification was unnecessary and prejudged other future cases.

Avoid chaos

The Court explained that leaving each state free to interpret the Constitution risked chaos. “The result may well be that the same candidate will be declared ineligible in some states and not in others. The resulting patchwork will likely sever the direct connection between the national government and the people of the United States as a whole. “If Article 3 is invoked after the nation has voted, the disruption will be more serious and the votes of millions may be canceled (…) . There is nothing in the Constitution that we should tolerate such anarchy.” Estimates of judges.

Chaos is thus avoided, at least for the moment. Trump, already the overwhelming favorite for the Republican nomination, sees his candidacy recognized by the US Supreme Court and his role in the events of January 6, 2021 de facto minimized. Thus, Super Tuesday can usually take place in Colorado, where Trump’s name was already printed on the ballot, and in the fifteen states that are holding their primaries simultaneously. But this normality is only appearance.

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The first Tuesday in March has long been a pivotal moment in the American election calendar, awarding more than a third of delegates to each party’s conventions. Its results are often decisive, but not this year.

Like the rest of the primary campaign, Super Tuesday 2024 is practically free of suspense. Unsurprisingly, two candidates dominate their camps. Joe Biden, the outgoing president, imposed his new candidacy on the Democratic Party. But the very worrying turnout for his campaign is creating a sense of panic in his camp. More than 70% of voters consider him too old, especially among Democrats. Entire segments of his 2020 voters are turning away from him, especially women, young people and minorities, critical segments for Democrats. A recent poll found him with 43% voting intention, compared to 48% for Trump in the November election. But in the absence of any alternative, the party is betting everything on the unpopular figure who, at 81, is showing increasingly obvious signs of physical decline.

Against all odds

On the Republican side, virtually no suspense remains. After sweeping the primaries and caucuses since the beginning of the year, Donald Trump should confirm his dominance over the Republican Party. His candidacy is favored by party rules, which award all delegates to the first contender. His campaign predicts he will win at least 773 delegates on Super Tuesday and the nomination in the weeks that follow.

Her latest rival, Nikki Haley, continues her campaign against all odds. Mathematically she has no chance of winning the nomination now. His only victory was in the tiny federal District of Columbia (Washington DC) on Sunday.

But his candidacy, which brings together nearly a quarter of Republican voters, signals one of Trump’s handicaps in the general election. Instead of uniting Republican voters, Trump’s aggressive rhetoric continues to disapprove of what he calls Rhinos (“Republican in name only”), his divisive personality, and above all §whose rules and norms he tramples. A section of the conservative electorate. Super Tuesday results, particularly in states like North Carolina, which are among the key states that could decide the general election, are expected to be indicative of the extent of this disapproval.