Representative Jamie Raskin strongly criticized remarks made by Trump attorney Alina Habba on Fox News, where she predicted that the Supreme Court would reinstate former President Donald Trump’s name on presidential ballots in states that had removed it. The exclusion was based on Section 3 of the 14th Amendment, which disqualifies individuals who have engaged in insurrection against the United States.
Habba’s assertion that Justice Brett Kavanaugh would “step up” for Trump raised eyebrows, with Raskin characterizing her comments as reminiscent of how New York mobsters perceive judges as being in their pocket. Raskin highlighted the notion that for authoritarian movements, personal connections with judges often seem more important than a strict adherence to the law.
Raskin expressed his disagreement with Habba’s confidence in the Supreme Court, emphasizing that disqualification based on insurrection is a constitutional measure, not an undemocratic one. Drawing parallels to other constitutional qualifications, such as the age requirement for presidential candidates, Raskin argued that these criteria are necessary for upholding the integrity of the democratic process.
“I think it should be a slam dunk in the Supreme Court,” Habba said. “I have faith in them. You know, people like [Brett] Kavanaugh, who the president fought for, who the president went through hell to get into place, he’ll step up. Those people will step up.
“Well, this is the way that New York mobsters think about judges,” he said. “Yeah, we own that one. We own that one. Get in that court. That guy’s in our pocket. And for fascists and authoritarian parties and movements, the law is really not what you know, but it’s who you know. And it’s always better for them to know the judge than to know the law. But to know the law here is to understand that Donald Trump is disqualified.”
In response to criticisms from the right, Raskin defended the constitutional disqualification, asserting that it is comparable to other eligibility requirements like the age restriction for presidential candidates or the native birth qualification. He underscored that these constitutional criteria are crucial for maintaining the democratic principles of the nation.
Raskin’s remarks, made on MSNBC, came shortly after the Supreme Court announced its decision to hear Trump’s case, setting the stage for a legal battle over the disqualification based on insurrection allegations. The comments from both Habba and Raskin reflect the heightened tension and controversy surrounding Trump’s eligibility for future elections.
