December 30, 2023

We've watched Fox "news" for years now try to whitewash, minimize and rewrite history about what happened on January 6th when Trump sent his mob to storm the Capitol to try to help him overturn a free and fair election, and they're still at it today.

During a discussion on this Friday's Outnumbered with the B Team filling in about the decision from the Maine Secretary of State, Shenna Bellows, ruling that Trump in ineligible to be on the 2024 primary ballot, mirroring what we just saw out of Colorado, cohosts Julie Banderas, David Webb and Cheryl Casone gave what may have been some of the most lame attempts at defending Trump yet. Apparently the definition of an insurrectionist only applies to Confederates.

Here's the back and forth which also includes some really ridiculous whataboutism with Joe Biden as well, and pretending poor old picked on Trump hasn't done anything to cause his own problems. He just has some "issues in the court system." I believe the word you're looking for Julie is indictments.

BANDERAS: You know, Ron DeSantis made a very good point basically calling out this double standard and saying that this is a Pandora's Box. What if a Republican to come out and simply say, because, you know, our current president is undergoing an impeachment inquiry, at the time, what if a Republican leader in any state, you name it, decides, we're going to take Biden off the ballot? They wouldn't be able to do that, and if they did, there would be a huge outcry. But when it happens to a former president who happens to be a Republican, who obviously has some issues in the court system, it's a different story.

WEBB: Yeah, and think about Wisconsin, during Scott Walker's time. They took over the state house. They did millions of dollars in damage. That's what would happen if say in Texas, the state took Biden off the ballot. That's would happen in any red state, like Florida. But when you go beyond this, and to Tomi's point, what you see here is blatant political ploy.

First of all, we have to believe that Schenna Bellows is either ignorant of actually reading two paragraphs, in section 3 in the 14th amendment, which states quite clearly that it said an officer of the United States. It's elector violations and electors. She was a Biden elector in 2020, elector of the president or vice president. Beyond being no charge of insurrection, which they haven't proffered, they haven't prosecuted, they haven't proven, there's nothing here.

And Tomi's right, this is about press for the moment, keeping the legal ball up in the air. The Supreme Court has to weigh in on Colorado, presumably by January 5th, because that's when they have to print their ballots, and that decision, that stare decisis will carry down to the other courts. But the Democrats will keep doing this. She puts it right to the state supreme court. Why? She knows it's garbage. I mean, just call it what it is.

CASONE: I can answer that question. It's arrogance, and it is hers. If you look at the statement that she put out there when she filed this motion and she's defending her decision, she says, “I conclude that Mr. Trump used a false narrative of election fraud. I likewise conclude that Mr. Trump was aware of likelihood for violence and at least initially supported its use.”

I mean, this is all about her. I mean, it's, okay, sorry, it's me. She's out of her league. She's out of her lane. It's definitely going to the Supreme Court. They're going to strike this down. There's no way they can't legally, and by the way, that amendment that she's citing in this, you mentioned how ludicrous it is. 1868, guys, this was when, this was put into the constitution, and the 14th Amendment basically, it barred those who had sworn an oath to the constitution from holding office if they engaged in insurrection.

Uh... pretty sure Donald Trump was not charged or convicted of insurrection.

BANDERAS: And this was also put in section 3 to cover Confederate officials who wanted (crosstalk). Yeah, exactly, and I'm pretty sure that Trump wasn't around back then.

WEBB: Well in their minds, he was the Confederate president, but this is also about fear and loathing. The American people have to fear a dictatorship, autocracy, the rise of white supremacy. They are caricaturing Trump, but not just Trump, the entire nation, they're saying half of you, just to use that number are this caricature.

They're trying to make the word insurrection have no meaning. And sorry David, but Trump and his supporters don't need any help being made into caricatures. They're doing a find job of that all by themselves. It might be funny if they weren't all so dangerous.

Merriam-Webster defines insurrection as "an act or instance of revolting against civil authority or an established government." Pretty sure that shoe fits perfectly.

And the 14th Amendment section 3 doesn't say anything about charges, or Confederates:

Section 3 Disqualification from Holding Office

No person shall be a Senator or Representative in Congress, or elector of President and Vice-President, or hold any office, civil or military, under the United States, or under any State, who, having previously taken an oath, as a member of Congress, or as an officer of the United States, or as a member of any State legislature, or as an executive or judicial officer of any State, 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. But Congress may by a vote of two-thirds of each House, remove such disability.

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