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Texas v Trump: Constitution Cannot Prevent His Candidacy

Texan voters are reminded that eligibility criteria for the presidential election are set by the US constitution, not the state of Texas.

Published June 23, 2024 at 5:12am by Hannah Hudnall

Claim: Trump's felony conviction disqualifies him from the Texas ballot

A Threads post claims Trump can't be on Texas' ballot due to his felony conviction. The post states: "Texas law prohibits convicted felons from holding any public office position."

Rating: False

This claim is false on two counts.

First, the text in the post is not from the Texas Constitution, it's from the website of the U.S. Probation Office, and it doesn't apply to Trump because he was convicted by a state, not the federal government.

Second, neither the Texas Constitution nor the U.S. Constitution bar felons from running for office. The U.S. Constitution lists the qualifications for presidential candidates as natural-born citizenship, a minimum age of 35, and 14 years of U.S. residency.

Trump's felony conviction has no bearing on his eligibility to run for president or appear on Texas' ballot.

Sources:

U.S. Probation Office of the Western District of Texas: Civil Rights Restoration
Texas Legislative Council: Texas Constitution
Congress.gov: Qualifications for the Presidency
Texas Constitution and Statutes: Election Code