A video of Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD) surfaced on Monday, in which he appears to threaten civil war if President Donald Trump wins the 2024 election. Speaking at a voter rights discussion hosted by a left-wing professor, Raskin mentioned a plan to disqualify Trump on January 6, 2025, citing the Fourteenth Amendment.
Raskin’s comments, captured in a YouTube video, suggest that Congress could act to disqualify Trump based on the Fourteenth Amendment, an idea previously hinted at by Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-CA) in February. Although Lofgren later retracted her statement, Raskin’s remarks reignited the debate.
“What can be put into the constitution can slip away from you very quickly,” Raskin said. “They want to kick it to Congress, so it’s going to be up to us on January 6th, 2025, to tell the rampaging Trump mobs that he’s disqualified, and then we need bodyguards for everybody and civil conditions.”
The Supreme Court’s decision against Colorado’s attempt to disqualify Trump using the Fourteenth Amendment places the responsibility on Congress. Raskin’s statements imply that legislative action could “convict” Trump politically.
Republican congressmen, including Chip Roy, have commented on the video, which shows no signs of being a deep fake. The higher resolution clip and consistent lip-sync suggest authenticity.
Critics argue that Raskin’s remarks are reckless and undermine democratic principles. His description of Trump supporters as “rampaging mobs” and the mention of needing bodyguards indicate the potential for civil unrest if Congress disqualifies Trump.
