The national board of directors for SAG-AFTRA (Screen Actors Guild - American Federation of Television and Radio Artists) is preparing to vote on whether President Donald Trump should be expelled from the organization.
According to Deadline, a special session will take place on Jan. 19 to determine if disciplinary actions are in order against the outgoing President of the United States for "engaging in actions antagonistic to the interests or integrity of the union," according to article XIV of the SAG-AFTRA Constitution. In order to be expelled out of SAG-AFTRA, two-thirds of the national board would have to vote in favor of expulsion. While the process would begin on Jan. 19, it is expected to take multiple weeks to finalize, with a hearing taking place of the charges against Trump.
The non-partisan union has been critical of Trump in the past, most notably when the current President called the news media "the enemy of the American people." It is reported that the Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol sparked this decision from SAG-AFTRA. Part of a statement released by SAG-AFTRA a day after the Capitol riots said that the union "condemns in the strongest terms yesterday's attack on America's foundational principles. Rioters, emboldened and encouraged by a sitting president and his enablers who have peddled baseless conspiracy theories, stormed the U.S. Capitol in an attempt to subvert democracy. As a union and a democratic organization, we are appalled by this attack on the values we hold most sacred. The disgraceful scenes coming out of the nation's capital have undermined America's institutions and its standing in the world. Displays of the Confederate flag and other symbols of white supremacy and hate were meant to subjugate and terrorize people of color and those of certain faiths. This poison attacks the diverse membership of our union and the labor movement."
According to the SAG-AFTRA Constitution, "a member may be reprimanded, censured, fined, suspended or expelled from membership in the Union for any of the following offenses: 1. Violation of any of the provisions of this Constitution, or the policies, rules or regulations adopted by the Union or any of its Locals. 2. Engaging in actions antagonistic to the interests or integrity of the Union, any of its affiliated Locals or its membership, including providing services covered by the Union's jurisdiction for any employer declared unfair by the National Board."
Expulsion from SAG-AFTRA would add to the list of articles Trump no longer has access to. Following his comments regarding the U.S. Capitol riots, which included urging the rioters to "fight like hell. And if you don't fight like hell, you're not going to have a country anymore," Trump was suspended from Twitch, Facebook and Twitter, along with various other social media platforms.
Source: Deadline
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