In Nevada, a federal judge dismissed a case challenging former President Trump’s 2024 eligibility, stating that GOP challenger John Anthony Castro lacked standing. The order, issued by U.S. District Court Judge Gloria M. Navarro, appointed by former President Obama, occurred on Monday and rejected Castro’s lawsuit questioning whether the Fourteenth Amendment prohibits Trump from holding office due to his alleged role in inciting the January 6 Capitol riot.
“This is a politically charged question of significant interest to the American public,” Navarro noted. “For reasons discussed below, the Court finds that Castro lacks standing, and the Court therefore lacks jurisdiction to hear this case.”
“To have standing to sue in federal court, a plaintiff must have suffered a concrete, particularized, and actual or imminent injury in fact that was caused by the defendant’s challenged conduct and is redressable by a favorable decision,” Navarro explained.
“This limitation on the judicial power prevents a plaintiff from invoking Article III jurisdiction of federal court by asserting what is merely a ‘general interest common to all members of the public.’”
The decision highlighted that Castro’s political opponent standing argument had been dismissed by five previous courts.
“In rejecting his political competitor standing argument, courts have fund that Castro improperly manufactured his standing merely to file this lawsuit,” Navarro writes. “The evidence indicates that Castro is creating his own injury in order to manufacture standing to challenge Trump’s eligibility to run for president.”
The judge noted that Castro openly admitted to declaring candidacy and paying the filing fee to challenge the validity of Trump’s presidency, emphasizing his commitment to enforcing the U.S. Constitution. In a footnote, Navarro pointed out that Trump and Castro are not running on the same Nevada ballot.
“As Castro indicates in his FAC, the Nevada Republican Party is holding a caucus separate from the state-run Presidential Preference Primary. Castro intends on running in the Nevada Republican PP,” the footnote says. “Trump is not participating in the PP and is instead appearing on the caucus ballot.”
