More than two dozen such cases have been filed across the county, and none have succeeded
A federal court dismissed a case arguing former President Donald Trump is ineligible to appear on the Arizona primary ballot next year, based on Section 3 of the 14th Amendment.
“Trump’s motion to dismiss for lack of subject-matter jurisdiction is Granted,” U.S. District Court Judge Douglas Rayes wrote in an ordArizonaer filed Dec. 5.
In a 12-page opinion and order, Judge Rayes noted that the civil petition filed in Arizona is one of 27 cases John Anthony Castro has filed against President Trump. The judge described the plaintiff as “ostensibly a candidate” for the Republican nomination, though Mr. Castro is mostly unknown, save for his efforts to sue President Trump, and has not made it onto national polls or any of the GOP debates.
“Castro is not genuinely competing with Trump for votes or contributions, and therefore is not suffering a concrete competitive injury,” the judge wrote, even after considering the plaintiff’s attempt to “beef up” his argument in an amended complaint.
The Trump campaign was quick to claim victory, claiming such cases are part of a publicity stunt and hit campaign against the GOP frontrunner.
Mr. Castro is not the only one to have brought a 14th Amendment challenge claiming President Trump is ineligible to run for office, but he has filed the most lawsuits in this vein. All such challenges have so far failed, though many are still pending in the courts.
“Today, federal court in Arizona dismissed another bad faith, 14th Amendment challenge to President Trump’s ballot status,” stated Trump campaign spokesperson Steven Cheung. “Each and every one of these ‘Castro Cases’ are not only a feeble attempt to interfere with the 2024 presidential election, but they are a huge waste of time for our nation’s judiciary. We urge the swift disposal of all remaining 14th Amendment cases putting this matter to rest faster than the recently deceased term ‘Bidenomics.’”
14th Amendment Cases
The obscure legal theory that Section 3 disqualifies President Trump from holding office was first circulated by activist groups after Jan. 6, 2021, and picked up steam this year after President Trump had announced his intention to run for the presidency. Experts weighed in on the issue in interviews and editorials in the media, drawing attention to Section 3 as well as division over its application.
