After the 1/6 Committee announced their criminal referrals of Trump, Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-IL) urged the criminal justice system to make sure that Trump can never be elected again.
Kinzinger tweeted:
Our work on the @January6thCmte has led us to criminally refer Donald Trump to DOJ. We now turn to the criminal justice system to ensure Justice under the law. The American people can ensure he’s never elected again.
— Adam Kinzinger (@RepKinzinger) December 19, 2022
Of the four criminal referrals that the committee made to the DOJ in relation to Trump, the one that could be the most devastating is the insurrection referral because if Trump is convicted of inciting or providing aid and comfort to an insurrection, the penalty is immediate disqualification from holding federal office.
That is what Rep. Kinzinger meant when he said that the criminal justice system and the American people, through serving on a criminal jury, can ensure that he is never elected again.
Seeing Trump thrown in jail would be satisfying for those who have watched him systemically break the law from the moment he got into politics, but that is unlikely to happen at Trump’s age.
The more likely outcome, and one that would serve as a deterrent to prevent any future president from following Trump’s lead, would be disqualification from holding office, and that seems to be what the 1/6 Committee is aiming for with their criminal referral.
Jason is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.
Awards and Professional Memberships
Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association
