Democrats push legislation to block Trump from holding office again

A group of House Democrats is backing legislation to prohibit former President Donald Trump from ever holding office again.

The legislation accuses Trump of involvement in "insurrection" and points to the 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution to assert that Trump is not eligible to hold office again.

"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," a portion of the 14th Amendment states.

Trump, who previously served as president from early 2017 through early 2021, announced last month that he is running for president again.

"Under Section 3 of the Fourteenth Amendment to the Constitution of the United States, Donald J. Trump is ineligible to again hold the office of President of the United States, or to hold any office, civil or military, under the United States," the measure declares.

Democratic Rep. David Cicilline of Rhode Island is pushing the measure along with more than three dozen original cosponsors.

"Donald Trump very clearly engaged in an insurrection on January 6, 2021 with the intention of overturning the lawful and fair results of the 2020 election. You don't get to lead a government you tried to destroy," Cicilline said, according to a press release. "The 14th Amendment makes clear that based on his past behavior, Donald Trump is disqualified from ever holding federal office again and, under Section 5, Congress has the power to pass legislation to implement this prohibition."