Donald Trump also won the caucuses in Nevada. It is the third state to go to the former president after Iowa and New Hampshire. A clear victory, obtained with 99% of the vote, given that his rival, Nikki Haley, chose not to show up and instead participated alone in a sort of “fake primary” allowed by the state of Nevada on February 6. In this case, the “None of these candidates” option, which received more than 60% of the preferences, was double that of Haley. It was probably Trump voters who voted “against all.”
Far more important, however, is the news leaked from the Supreme Court, where on February 8, arguments were presented by the parties regarding Donald Trump’s eligibility after a local court in Colorado declared him “ineligible” on the basis of the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. His role during the assault on Capitol Hill is under a magnifying glass.
Jonathan Mitchell, Trump’s lawyer, supports the thesis that the Capitol Hill event was “a riot, a criminal, shameful, and violent event” but not an “insurrection.” This term is important because Section 3 of the 14th Amendment, upon which the Colorado court’s decision is based, states that: “No person shall be a Senator or Representative in Congress, or elector of President and Vice-President” if he has “engaged in insurrection or rebellion.” Another defense argument is that the article in question applies to appointed, not elected, officials of the United States, such as the President.
Jason Murphy, defending Colorado’s position, reiterated that states have “the power to protect their elections” by preventing candidates from becoming too old, running for a third term, or engaging in insurgency, and the latter applies to Trump.
A decision is now expected: it may take a long time, but it should come before “Super Tuesday,” March 5. Political analysts report that based on the questions asked of the judges and their reactions, it appears the verdict may be in Trump’s favor. The fact that six of the nine Supreme Court justices are conservatives and three of them were appointed by Trump himself should not be underestimated.