Prominent law professor, Steven G. Calabresi, recently turned heads with a surprising reversal on whether former President Donald J. Trump can run for office in 2024.
Previously adamant that Trump’s involvement in the January 6th insurrection rendered him constitutionally ineligible, Calabresi’s change of heart came after digesting an opinion piece by ex-Attorney General Michael B. Mukasey.
According to a report by The New York Times on Monday, September 18, 2023, Mukasey’s argument centers around Section 3 of the 14th Amendment, which Calabresi initially believed disqualified Trump. Mukasey, however, interprets this section as only applying to appointed officials and not elected ones like Trump.
The academic debate ignited further when a detailed law review article contested Mukasey’s views. But Calabresi stood firm, even as he faced backlash from fellow scholars like Yale’s Akhil Reed Amar. Despite declaring Trump eligible, Calabresi was clear in his personal stance, stating, “I will support any Republican or Joe Biden over Trump in 2024.”
Justice Felix Frankfurter’s words seem apt now more than ever: “Wisdom too often never comes, and so one ought not to reject it merely because it comes late.”