As we, the undersigned American citizens, feel as though the threat of anti-democratic sentiment is not being taken seriously enough by many of our elected officials, and,

As we, the undersigned American citizens, are seeing continual attempts to revise history to downplay the actions of insurrectionists on January 6th, 2021, or to erase the riot at the Capitol downright to prevent the certification of the legitimate election on that day, and,

As we, the undersigned American citizens, do not believe that it is adequate to wait until election day to risk our democracy by allowing a candidate who continually provides aid and comfort to the insurrectionists because it may benefit his opponents or because those endorsing the offending candidate may feel disenfranchised,

Donald J. Trump, the 45th President of the United States, should be disqualified from appearing on the ballot for the 2024 presidential election and all subsequent elections under the 14th Amendment, section 3.  This is due to his continued reference to convicted felons who assaulted the Capitol and police officers in and around the Capitol as "hostages," his continued promises of pardons for these individuals who have been found guilty in courts of law, and his promotion of their plight in dealing with the consequences of their actions through promotional actions like recording the "Justice for All" single with them among other actions.  This falls under the text of the 14th Amendment in Section 3, which is as follows:

No person shall be a Senator or Representative in Congress, or elector of President and Vice-President, or hold any office, civil or military, under the United States, or under any State, who, having previously taken an oath, as a member of Congress, or as an officer of the United States, or as a member of any State legislature, or as an executive or judicial officer of any State, to support the Constitution of the United States, shall have engaged in insurrection or rebellion against the same, or given aid or comfort to the enemies thereof. But Congress may by a vote of two-thirds of each House, remove such disability.

According to Black's Law Dictionary, "aid or comfort to enemies thereof" refers to providing "Help; support; assistance; counsel; encouragement. As an element in the crime of treason, the giving of “aid and comfort” to the enemy may consist in a mere attempt. It is not essential to constitute the giving of aid and comfort that the enterprise commenced should be successful and actually render assistance."

It is obvious by this definition that Donald J. Trump's continued sympathetic rhetoric toward defendants like Enrique Tarrio, Stewart Rhodes, Kevin Galetto, and Joshua Doolan along with more than 380 other people convicted on charges related to the insurrection and those who remain at large who are looking to avoid ever facing accountability for their actions.  

The former president poses a major threat to American democracy, world stability, and civil rights.  American democracy can be said to be the greatest force for good in the recorded history of Western civilization, as during its dominance post-World War II through 2003 there was a surge in democracy, no annexations of neighboring territories, and a significant lack of widespread conflicts like we had seen through the 19th century and the first half of the 20th century.  Several legal scholars and political commentators have expressed fears that electing Donald J. Trump in the future would mark the end of the longest-running democracy in history and would deprive Americans of their right to vote but would also endanger those allies that depend on the United States for their security.  The former president continues to brag about his friendly relations with known dictators and human rights violators like Vladimir Putin, Xi Jinping, and Kim Jong Un, and further damaged our relations with our NATO allies.  As president, Donald J. Trump also accepted endorsements from nationalists and white supremacists while threatening harsh action against civil rights protestors and bragging about being responsible for denying others their liberties through his actions as the chief executive.  His campaign and the Heritage Foundation have released Project 2025, where they have stated that they plan to reshape the executive branch of government to remove the safety mechanisms that prevented him from a successful insurrection in 2021 while weaponizing the Departments of Justice and Homeland Security.

I understand that some of those working on the opposition campaign against Donald J. Trump and Republican candidates believe that they have a better chance to win against him and his cronies.  However, there is too much at stake to play chicken with our democracy and the recognition of our unalienable rights recognized by the Bill of Rights and the balance of powers in the U.S. Constitution.  We, the undersigned American citizens, believe that the risk is too great to accept in exchange for the possible benefit of any particular candidate or party.  Donald J. Trump is an insurrectionist, as detailed by the January 6th House Select Committee, Maine's Secretary of State, District Judge Sarah B. Wallace, and the Colorado Supreme Court.  We, the undersigned American citizens, believe that this alone should disqualify him from the ballot, but, regardless of his conviction on these facts, Donald J. Trump's continued promises of pardons and continued offers of support fall under the "aid and comfort to the enemies" of the constitution under the 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution and disqualify them regardless.

He must be disqualified immediately before more people vote for an intelligible candidate in the primaries, thereby feeding their sense of grievance and fears of government conspiracies, increasing risks and severity of political violence.  He must be disqualified immediately so that Secretaries of State can remove him from ballots as soon as possible to avoid further confusion among the electorate so that we can continue with our proud tradition of free and fair elections.  The language of the 14th Amendment is clear, and we need Secretaries of State, Judges and Justices, and law enforcement agents of character to be empowered and encouraged to understand that it is their civic duty and responsibility to end this threat.  There is no need for further legal or Congressional action.