Former president sidestepped signing state’s loyalty oath, which opponents Nikki Haley and Chris Christie also have not signed

Former president sidestepped signing state’s loyalty oath, which opponents Nikki Haley and Chris Christie also have not signed

Joe Biden’s 2024 election campaign has lambasted former president and most likely Republican opponent Donald Trump for failing to sign a loyalty oath in the state of Illinois, in which candidates pledge against advocating an overthrow of the government.

The Biden campaign was responding to an investigation by Illinois news outlets WBEZ and the Chicago Sun-Times, which reported that Trump sidestepped signing the McCarthy era voluntary pledge that is part of the midwestern state’s package of ballot-access paperwork submitted by 2024 electoral candidates last week.

That omission came days before the third anniversary of the January 6 insurrection, for which Trump has been indicted for his alleged role in efforts to overturn Biden’s 2020 election victory. It’s a departure from 2016 and 2020, when Trump signed the voluntary oath.

  • ChonkyOwlbear@lemmy.world
    311·
    11 months ago

    Apparently the pledge has to be optional per a court case that ruled it is a free speech violation to make it a requirement.

    • SheeEttinEnglish
      371·
      11 months ago

      You know, there’s a question on security clearance paperwork that asks if you’ve ever done anything for violent overthrow of the government, which is definitely not an optional question. Funny that it’s optional for even more important positions.

      • prole@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
        18·
        11 months ago

        As if that matters. Remember what happened when Jared Kushner’s security clearance was denied several times? Oh that’s right, nothing. Trump was able to override that. Cool.