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
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      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.

      • SheeEttin
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        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.works
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          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.

  • Everythingispenguins@lemmy.world
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    11 months ago

    So he couldn’t be bothered to sign a pretend pledge to not overthrow the government? Did we finally find the thing that he wouldn’t lie about?

    • thefartographer@lemm.ee
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      11 months ago

      I know you’re being sarcastic, but I’d like to list all of the positive things to come from McCarthyism:

      Thank you for attending my TedTalk

      • Nougat@kbin.social
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        11 months ago

        I wasn’t being sarcastic. This “I won’t try to overthrow the US government” pledge was aimed at Communists in McCarthyism, and here it tells us something important, since Trump did sign it the last two times he ran, and declined to this time.

        • thefartographer@lemm.ee
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          11 months ago

          Sorry, I was trying to do one of those “oh, I thought they were being serious for a second there,” kind of bits and instead just made my whole gag confusing. You are absolutely right, though.

      • SheeEttin
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        11 months ago
        • that one bit in The Manchurian Candidate (1962) making fun of McCarthy
  • theodewere@kbin.social
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    11 months ago

    his signature is worthless in any case, and he wouldn’t ever keep an oath to anyone but himself

  • DAMunzy@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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    11 months ago

    One thing I can agree with him on. Stupid and useless loyalty pledge that goes further than what the headlines state.

  • clutchmatic@lemmy.world
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    11 months ago

    USA democracy is in a big doo-doo if it depends on candidates signing pledges to avoid being overthrown

  • fosforus@sopuli.xyz
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    11 months ago

    So if USA does break into two parts, how does it work? Seems like the east and west would be aligned with each other, but are not geographically connected. Would they be separate (so 3 parts in total) or still one? Or would there be an inevitable civil war that would bring it to just 1 eventually?