On January 10, 2024, a federal judge appointed during the tenure of former President Barack Obama rejected a lawsuit aimed at disqualifying Donald Trump from the 2024 ballot, according to a report by Newsweek.
Presidential candidate John Anthony Castro from Texas had filed the lawsuit, challenging Trump’s eligibility under Section 3 of the 14th Amendment. The claim centered on Trump’s alleged involvement in the Capitol riot on January 6, 2021.
U.S. District Judge Gloria M. Navarro, presiding in Nevada, dismissed the case, asserting that Castro lacked standing and contending that he orchestrated the conditions leading to the lawsuit. Navarro pointed to evidence suggesting that Castro’s presidential bid was primarily aimed at pursuing legal actions against Trump.
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“In rejecting his political competitor’s standing argument, courts have found that Castro improperly manufactured his standing merely to file this lawsuit,” Navarro stated.
Castro openly admitted to The Associated Press in October that his candidacy was focused on enforcing the U.S. Constitution, specifically targeting Trump’s eligibility. Navarro’s ruling emphasized that Castro’s motivations for running were transparently aligned with his pursuit of lawsuits against the former president.
This dismissal adds to a series of legal challenges faced by Trump. Maine and Colorado have already removed him from their 2024 ballots, citing his alleged role in the Capitol riot.
Facing federal charges related to the events of January 6, 2021, Trump maintains his innocence, accusing those behind the lawsuits of election interference. The Colorado Republican Party has appealed the state’s decision to the U.S. Supreme Court.
In response to the Nevada court’s decision, Steven Cheung, a Trump campaign spokesman, hailed it as a victory for the former president. Cheung criticized similar cases seeking to bar Trump from the ballot under the 14th Amendment, characterizing them as “bogus” and “bad-faith” attempts engineered by President Joe Biden.
“President Trump remains undefeated in federal court against these cynical efforts to interfere in the 2024 election. Courts in eleven states have now dismissed similar, pathetic, 14th Amendment ballot cases,” Cheung remarked. He went on to describe the challenges as blatant attempts to “steal the election for Crooked Joe Biden” and disenfranchise over 100 million American voters. Cheung reassured supporters that Trump, as the leading candidate for both the Republican primary and the general election, would fight against these “disgraceful attacks on American democracy.”
