Dear John,

By now, I’m sure you know a grand jury has officially indicted Donald Trump on four felony counts related to his attempts to overturn the 2020 presidential election.

These are the most serious charges against Trump yet, but the reality is that these charges will likely only boost Trump in the Republican primary.

And if he wins, we already know what’s coming: He will immediately order his attorney general to drop the charges against him, and then he will pick right up where he left off on January 6, tearing down the fundamental structure of American democracy.

Trump may well be convicted, but election officials do not need to wait for that to disqualify him from running.

The Constitution sets the rules for who can and can’t serve as president, and the 14th Amendment explicitly prohibits elected officials who have engaged in insurrection from running for president or serving in any other public office.

Click here to sign the petition and urge state election officials to enforce the 14th Amendment and disqualify Donald Trump from the ballot!

This is now the third time in four months that Trump has been indicted, but it likely won't be the last. The latest charges include conspiracy to defraud the United States, conspiracy against the rights of citizens, and obstruction of an official proceeding. If convicted on the charges included in this week’s indictment, Trump faces up to 30 years in prison.

But perhaps more importantly for the future of our democracy, these charges clearly show that Trump is disqualified from running for president under the 14th Amendment’s insurrection clause -- and state and local election officials have the authority right now to bar him from running.

If you’re under 35 or not a natural born U.S. citizen, election officials won’t put you on the ballot. It’s that simple. They don't need a jury to determine your age or citizenship. Trump incited an insurrection in plain sight, on TV, and on Twitter.

In fact, a New Mexico judge removed a county commissioner who participated in the January 6 insurrection from his office and banned him from running again in the future given his violation of Section 3 of the 14th Amendment.

If the 14th Amendment applies to a County Commissioner in New Mexico, it certainly applies to the most powerful office in the country, the Presidency of the United States. Sign the petition today and demand that officials keep Trump off the ballot.

Thank you for joining with us in the fight for democracy.

Robert Reich
Inequality Media Civic Action