Robert B. Reich, who previously served as labor secretary during Bill Clinton’s presidency, has since been teaching at Berkeley and frequently sharing his commentary on Twitter.
The modern Republican party is devoted to three ideas:
1) That power is only legitimate if Republicans wield it
2) Power must be acquired by any means necessary
3) And the party is accountable to no one once it has it
It's a recipe for fascism.
— Robert Reich (@RBReich) April 29, 2023
In an op-ed published by, The Guardian, Reich urged for Donald Trump to be disqualified from running for president in the future, ostensibly to preserve what leftists often refer to as “our democracy.”
Reich says Trump should be barred from running because he “committed treason just over two years ago.” Reich claims Trump is “running for re-election, despite the explicit language of section three of the 14th amendment to the constitution, which prohibits anyone who has held public office and who has engaged in insurrection against the United States from ever again serving in public office.”
The Fourteenth Amendment explicitly prohibits individuals who have been involved in insurrection or rebellion against the United States or provided assistance to its enemies from holding office in the presidency or Congress.
Originally enacted in the aftermath of the Civil War to prevent former Confederates from representing Southern states in Washington, this amendment has gained significant attention among Democrats today as they seek to disqualify Republicans who express doubts about the integrity of the 2020 election.
Despite its popularity among the Left and the frequent repetition of this scenario by left-leaning commentators on networks like CNN and MSNBC, there are significant issues and concerns associated with it.
One contentious issue lies in the claim that Trump “engaged in insurrection against the United States,” which is often presented as a talking point by those on the Left rather than an established fact.
The events of January 6, 2021, were meticulously examined during Trump’s second impeachment trial and later by the United States House Select Committee on the January 6 Attack. However, neither of these investigations resulted in Trump being formally charged or convicted of insurrection.
While the possibility remains that the Department of Justice, under Merrick Garland’s leadership, could pursue such charges, the release of video footage by Tucker Carlson has significantly challenged the Left’s narrative surrounding January 6, making the case for insurrection increasingly difficult to substantiate.
Neither Trump nor anyone else has been charged or convicted of treason or insurrection related to the events of January 6. The characterization of it as an insurrection is questionable since there is a lack of clear evidence identifying insurrectionists.
In reality, there was no insurrection on January 6. However, Reich portrays Trump’s alleged treason and the supposed “insurrection” as self-evident and universally acknowledged, advocating for his disqualification.
