House Democrats Criticize Speaker Mike Johnson’s Stance on 2024 Election Certification, Face Similar Dilemmas
Despite their criticisms of the events of January 6, 2021, House Democrats are preparing to prevent Donald Trump from taking office should he win the presidency.
Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.), a key member of the House Oversight Committee, acknowledged that Democrats would accept a free and fair Trump victory, but he raised concerns about Trump’s methods. Raskin pointed to Trump’s efforts to manipulate electoral processes in places like Nebraska and Georgia.
Raskin, the House Oversight Committee ranking member and former Jan. 6 committee member who objected to Trump electors in 2017, told Axios in an interview that if Trump “won a free, fair and honest election, then we would obviously accept it.”
However, Raskin said he “definitely” doesn’t assume that Trump would use free, fair and honest means to secure a victory.
Trump “is doing whatever he can to try to interfere with the process, whether we’re talking about manipulating electoral college counts in Nebraska or manipulating the vote count in Georgia or imposing other kinds of impediments,” Raskin said.
Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.), a senior chief deputy whip who voted to object to George W. Bush electors in 2005, said of Trump, “I don’t know what kind of shenanigans he is planning,” adding: “We would have to, in any election … make sure that all the rules have been followed.”
Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.), who previously objected to George W. Bush electors in 2005, expressed uncertainty over Trump’s intentions but emphasized the importance of ensuring all election rules are followed. Schakowsky later affirmed her commitment to certifying a legitimate 2025 election result.
Raskin previously developed a plan to kick Donald Trump off the ballot, effectively creating one-party rule for the Democrats despite a ruling by the Supreme Court that prevented multiple attempts to steal the election by claiming the 14th Amendment made Trump ineligible.
The New Republic noted in March that “Raskin has a message for the Supreme Court: challenge accepted.
The Supreme Court unanimously ruled Monday that Colorado can’t kick Donald Trump off its 2024 state primary ballot—and by extension, neither can any other state. Although the bench was united in its decision, it was sharply divided in reasoning. Five of the six conservative justices determined that the Fourteenth Amendment can only be enforced through a law passed by Congress, which the three liberal justices strongly opposed.
Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD) after SCOTUS ruling says he is working to revive legislation to “set up a process” to, under the 14th Amendment, disqualify someone who’s committed insurrection:
“The question is whether Speaker Mike Johnson would allow us to bring this to the floor.” pic.twitter.com/UDC9xbVLLo
— The Recount (@therecount) March 4, 2024
‘I disagree with that interpretation, just because the other parts of the Fourteenth Amendment are self-executing,’ Raskin said on CNN.
‘In any event, the Supreme Court punted and said it’s up to Congress to act,” the Maryland representative continued. “And so I am working with a number of my colleagues, including Debbie Wasserman Schultz and Eric Swalwell, to revive legislation that we had to set up a process by which we could determine that someone who committed insurrection is disqualified by Section 3 of the Fourteenth Amendment.’”
Raskin voted in 2021 to impeach Trump. The Senate ultimately acquitted Trump, but only by a vote of 57–43.
