Keeping Trump on ballot would be a good thing, actually

In fairly short order, the U.S. Supreme Court will rule on whether Colorado can keep former president and current criminal defendant Donald Trump off the ballot, with all signs pointing to the justices ruling in favor of the disreputable man in question.

I’m OK with that. Personally, I’d rather the American public have the chance to reject – again – one of the most destructive political figures of my lifetime.

I don’t want this person knocked out on what some would undoubtedly claim is a judicial technicality. I want him cleanly defeated by voters for a second time, and I say that not as a liberal (which I am) or as a huge advocate for President Joe Biden (which I’m not) but as an American truly, deeply worried about the future of our democracy.

Many crucial issues are at stake in this year’s presidential election. But for me, the issue that matters most is making sure Trump loses and goes away, taking his ruinous MAGA movement with him.

I watched the Jan. 6 insurrection unfold, so I know what Trump did

At the heart of the Supreme Court ballot case is whether Trump betrayed his oath to the Constitution by engaging in insurrection, thus barring him from office under the 14th Amendment.

Like most Americans, I watched Trump plant the seeds of revolt and then foment an insurrection in real time on Jan. 6, 2021. And I’ve watched him every day since refuse to acknowledge the results of a free and fair election and refuse to take responsibility for an attack on the U.S. Capitol that left hundreds injured, including more than 140 police officers, and led to a number of deaths.

I’ve watched him coddle the insurrectionists now rightly serving prison time. I’ve heard former Vice President Mike Pence say that Trump’s “reckless words endangered my family and everyone at the Capitol that day, and I know history will hold Donald Trump accountable.”

More than 90 felony charges, grifting and sexual abuse should disqualify Trump

I’ve watched Trump get indicted on more than 90 state and felony counts.

I’ve watched a federal judge clarify that a jury’s finding that Trump was liable for sexual assault against writer E. Jean Carroll met the broadly accepted definition of rape.

I’ve watched Trump lie with feverish abandon, over and over and over again, about matters large and small. I’ve watched him corrupt the minds of a sizable swath of Americans and manipulate them into an embarrassingly slavish cult of personality, all while mercilessly fleecing them to enrich himself and cover his myriad legal bills.

So my suggestion to those awaiting the Supreme Court’s ruling on Trump’s ballot eligibility is this: Ignore it. It will be what it will be. Assume that at the end of the day, all that matters is your vote.

If you don’t want Trump to be president again – whether it’s because you’re a Democrat, a Biden supporter, a concerned independent or a disaffected conservative – your focus should be solely on helping others understand exactly how dangerous Trump is, as a candidate and as a person.

Shouldn’t the very fact that Supreme Court justices are having to decide whether he’s qualified to be on the ballot because of an insurrection be disqualifying? Don’t we deserve a president who gets a definitive answer of “No!” to the question, “Did he ever conspire to overturn the results of a free and fair election?”

For voters who don’t pay attention to the nearconstant stream of Trumpian blather and legal developments, the primary knock on Biden is his age, which is a whopping three years more than Trump’s.

That’s fine but let’s dispense with any attempts to treat the two candidates as equally flawed. If you know the truth about Trump, there’s simply no comparison, and it behooves you to share that. Focus on the surest ways to defeat Trump and end this era of cultish political bullying and gaslighting: voting, and encouraging others to pay attention and vote.

Follow USA TODAY columnist Rex Huppke on X, formerly Twitter, @RexHuppke and Facebook facebook.com/RexIsAJerk