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President Trump received good news this week in Florida, where a judge ruled that a lawsuit aimed at disqualifying him from appearing on the ballot in 2024 lacked standing, multiple outlets have reported.
This summer, Lawrence Caplan, a Florida tax attorney, filed a suit against Trump in federal court that argued that Trump had engaged in an alleged “insurrection” and should therefore be unable to hold office, according to The Hill.
The basis for this disqualification was a clause in the U.S. Constitution’s 14th Amendment. Caplan was essentially inferring that the events of Jan. 6, 2021, qualified as an alleged insurrection.
However, Caplan’s dreams of disqualifying Trump from running for office were dashed when an Obama-appointed judge in the Sunshine State stated that when it came to the events of Jan. 6, “an individual citizen does not have standing to challenge whether another individual is qualified to hold public office.”
This ruling is good news for Trump, who faced an otherwise arduous month of legal woes in August, when he faced two separate indictments back-to-back. Overall, the president has faced four indictments in 2023.
On Friday, President Trump shared a sarcastic comment on Truth Social, highlighting the ongoing indictments and court challenges he has faced in 2023.
He wrote, “Keep Indicting your Political Opponent, it makes no difference for what, or why. Keep him off the ‘campaign trail’ and in the courthouse instead. Don’t think of his Rights, the Constitution, or Liberty. Sit back and WATCH AMERICA CRUMBLE!”
Last week, Trump was arrested and processed at the Fulton County jail in Georgia in relation to a fourth indictment on 41 charges related to the 2020 presidential election. In that case, 18 Trump allies or associates were additionally charged.
Trump’s victory in Florida is a good sign for those who have been worried that there may be continued efforts to strip the 45th president off the presidential ballot in 2024.
