Following up on my own question... Section 3 prohibits the election or appointment to any federal or state office of any person who had held any of certain off

Following up on my own question... Section 3 prohibits the election or appointment to any federal or state office of any person who had held any of certain offices and then engaged in insurrection, rebellion or treason. Section 3 was used to prevent Socialist Party of America member Victor L. Berger, convicted of violating the Espionage Act for his anti-militarist views, from taking his seat in the House of Representatives in 1919 and 1920. - source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fourteenth_Amendment_to_the_United_States_Constitution#Participants_in_rebellion https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fourteenth_Amendment_to_the_Un... And as far as pardoning oneself as president, it's possible: http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/explainer/1998/12/can_president_clinton_pardon_himself.html http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/explainer/19...