SC Throws Out Trump’s Final Election Challenge

On Monday, the US Supreme Court rejected the final election challenge filed by former President Donald Trump. The SC rejected Trump’s appeal challenging thousands of absentee ballots filed in Wisconsin. This effectively closes his attempts to get the courts to do something about his allegations of election fraud in last year’s elections.  

RELATED: Trump Concedes Election, Condemns Violence at Capitol

The suit was the last of three petitions filed near the end of Trump’s tenure. Earlier, the court turned away Trump’s other two appeals. These involved a second Wisconsin challenge and a Pennsylvania protest. Lower courts previously had ruled against Trump in those three cases.

Final Election Challenge

The justices released an unsigned order without noted dissent Monday. It noted that they declined the request to take up the lawsuit alleging that Wisconsin election officials violated the Constitution. They did so by expanding absentee voting while the country suffered through a coronavirus pandemic.

The decision closes the final election challenge that is Trump’s legal campaign to overturn the November election results. The unofficial count for Trump’s legal team? They secured a single win but received rejections for more than 60 legal challenges 

Wisconsin Suit 

When President Joe Biden officially won Wisconsin by over 20,000 votes, Trump filed the suit a month after the elections. It alleged that the Wisconsin Election Commission illegally put in new rules such as establishing absentee ballot drop boxes. The objective supposedly will mitigate the spread of COVID-19 while giving voters more chances to submit their ballots. However, the suit alleges that the Commission does not have the power to impose new election rules. Only the Wisconsin state legislature can do so. Both a federal judge and the Chicago-based 7th US Circuit Court of Appeals rejected the claims. In particular, the courts noted that Trump waited too long to file his case.

Trump requested the SC to fast-track the case before the scheduled confirmation of election results by Congress on January 6. As in the case of the former president’s other requests, the SC denied the motion. That same Congressional session had to suspend proceedings as a violent mob stormed the Capitol to protest the results. Trump’s supposed reactions to the mob gave speculation to his involvement. As a result, Democrats filed an impeachment case against the former president. Eventually, Trump received an acquittal. 

Refusal to Hear His Case

Meanwhile, the Supreme Court’s Monday decision to deny Trump’s appeal meant that less than four justices agreed to hear the case. Prior to the decision, several conservative justices indicated an interest in addressing some of Trump’s questions. Specifically, they want to find out what the Constitution says about how states can assign election authority.

As standard operating procedure dictates, the judges did not share information on who voted for or against the suit. It did not also provide an explanation of how they came to a decision. However, some legal experts deduced that justices will actively avoid any election-related matters. The riot on January 6 dissuaded the courts from picking up the cases, as it could add more fuel to an already contentious situation. They fear that any action can help boost Trump’s claims of election fraud.

Watch the Bloomberg Quick Take video reporting that the final election challenge filed by former President Donald Trump rejected by the Supreme Court:

How do you feel about the unsatisfactory ending of former President Trump’s campaign to challenge the election results? Do you think more can be done to continue the fight? Or, do you think Trump should channel all his energy in the next elections? Let us know what you think about this situation. Leave your thoughts in the comments section below.