A Call for Secession — From the Left?
Quite possibly one of the most surprising reversals of narrative as a result of the election of Donald Trump is the rise of a leftist secession movement in the United States. Prior to Trump’s election many — myself included — theorized secession as a possible extension or argument of the Tea Party movement. However, the calls for states’ rights — 10th Amendment “reserved powers” and secession — are now the mantra of fringe leftist groups in California, Oregon, and Washington states. These supporters of secession have branded the movement as “Calexit.”
By Dr. Justin DePlato
Quite possibly one of the most surprising reversals of narrative as a result of the election of Donald Trump is the rise of a leftist secession movement in the United States. Prior to Trump’s election many — myself included — theorized secession as a possible extension or argument of the Tea Party movement. However, the calls for states’ rights — 10th Amendment “reserved powers” and secession — are now the mantra of fringe leftist groups in California, Oregon, and Washington states. These supporters of secession have branded the movement as “Calexit.”
Leftists used to pride themselves as the defenders of the Constitution’s Preamble clause — “more perfect Union” or General Welfare clause — or the 14th Amendment “equal protection” clause as justification for “perfecting” the Union and wearing their love of Union as a symbolic badge of honor. Of course, the Union is benevolent and divine when liberals are in charge of it. They would ridicule any notion of dissolution of the Union and trounce dissenters as intolerant, racist, or anti-American. But then, for the Left the unthinkable happened: Donald Trump won and now the extreme Left is anti-Union. How ironic and void of integrity is such a reversal of leftist argument?
The question of secession is of course settled law and decisively unconstitutional. Yet, why and how is secession unconstitutional?
Abraham Lincoln’s first inaugural address condemned secession. Lincoln surmised that the Union preexisted the Constitution, was implicitly perpetual, that the act of one destroying the contract would violate the perfection of the Union, and that no state may leave the Union without first dissolving the Constitution. Lincoln concluded that “it follows from these views that no state on its own mere motion can lawfully get out of the Union … and acts or actions against the authority of the United States is revolutionary.”
Further, in 1868 the Supreme Court in Texas v. White clarified and affirmed secession as unconstitutional. Likewise, I doubt the fringe Left realizes its grief over Trump formally materializing in a call for secession is akin to South Carolina’s “manifesto” for secession. South Carolina along with the “Calexit” supporters suppose they can voluntarily leave or choose to leave the Union. However, leaving the Union is not voluntary, nor is there a choice.
Secession is unconstitutional with no legal pursuance. Yet, with the election of Trump, there are now leftist thinkers in argument aligning with southern rebels to dissolve the Union. How is this argument of secession post Trump’s victory not offensive and even possibly racist? If anyone had posed a similar thought in 2008, following the election of President Obama, such a thinker would be chastised, ridiculed and banished from serious dialogue.
“Calexit” is serious. In early December, the fringe leftist secessionists filed for a ballot initiative on the matter of secession with hopes of it appearing on the California ballot in 2018. While this process has ensued, “mum” is the word out of the California governor’s office.
Conservatives might shrug off the lunacy of the fringe leftist calls for secession, yet they might remind themselves that when the “Right” calls for secession or made recent calls for nullification from fringe libertarian groups, the Left quickly condemns such thoughts as bigoted, racist, or flatly ridiculous. Conservatives should do the same.
As Lincoln told the southern rebels, “The Union of these states is perpetual … no government proper ever had a provision in its organic law for its termination … plainly the idea of secession is anarchy [and supporters acrimonious].” I agree with Lincoln and assert that the Union is strong and will remain in perpetuity during and after the Trump presidency.
As Lincoln reminds all of us, “We are not enemies, but friends … [and we] will yet swell the chorus of Union, again when touched … by the better angels of our nature.”
Justin DePlato is an assistant professor of political science at Robert Morris University and contributor to the Center for Vision & Values. His latest book is “American Democracy: Founders, Presidents and Enlightened Philosophers.”
