Trump’s Exclusion From Two State Ballots Sparks Uncertainty

January 4, 2024 Hour: 9:55 am

The recent decision by the states of Maine and Colorado to bar former President Donald Trump from their ballots marks an unprecedented moment in the evolving U.S. political landscape.

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Trump Disqualified from Maine’s Presidential Primary

The moves unveil the deepening divisions within the country’s political arena, where escalating political polarization and legal battles are increasingly defining the narrative of national governance and public discourse.

POLITICAL RIFT

On Dec. 19, the Colorado Supreme Court banned Trump from running in the state’s presidential primary. This ruling represents an unprecedented use of Section 3 of the 14th Amendment to disqualify a presidential candidate for the first time in history.

On Dec. 28, U.S. Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows also decided that Trump was disqualified from the state ballot due to his role in the Capitol riot.

Bellows made history by prohibiting a presidential candidacy based on the same reason — the rarely used insurrection clause of the 14th Amendment, which bars individuals who have participated in insurrection from holding office.

On Tuesday, Trump filed an appeal of the decision by Maine’s top election official ruling him ineligible to appear on the state’s primary ballot. He also asked the U.S. Supreme Court on Wednesday to invalidate the ruling by the Colorado Supreme Court.

Like Colorado, Maine has disqualified Trump from the ballot on the grounds that the 14th Amendment bars insurrectionists from seeking office.

SCOTUS will surely have the final word. Meanwhile, here’s what you need to know about the underlying argument. pic.twitter.com/bQGxVFnORB

— Robert Reich (@RBReich)
December 29, 2023

HARASSMENTS

Days following Bellows’s decision, she fell prey to a “swatting call,” the state police said in a statement. Swatting is a false report of a crime or emergency that is intended to draw a police presence to a location.

“We were not home yesterday when threats escalated, and our home address was posted online. Swatting incidents have resulted in casualties although thankfully this one did not. It’s designed to scare not only me but also others into silence, to send a message,” said Bellows.

Colorado’s justices have also been the targets of threats. Early Tuesday, a gunman broke into the Colorado Supreme Court and took a security guard hostage while firing multiple gunshots before being arrested by local police.

Although the state police said the break-in was most likely not related to the controversial ruling, some local media outlets pointed out such a connection.

“The shooting is the latest example of violence and intimidation against Colorado’s high court and its justices after the court’s 4-3 decision last month,” Forbes said.

Voter who filed challenge to get Trump disqualified in Maine, “Anybody who steps back and looks at this knows Donald Trump is an insurrectionist. Knows an insurrection occurred that day, and he incited it, and the 14th amendment must apply to the POTUS.” pic.twitter.com/Sx5IBw0Qcf

— Sarah Reese Jones (@PoliticusSarah)
January 2, 2024

“RIGGED ELECTION”

The banning of Trump from states’ 2024 primary ballots gives the appearance of “a rigged election,” said Sara Haines, the host of The View, a U.S. daytime talk show.

The recent decisions in Colorado and Maine to remove the former president from their ballots will only push more people to believe that voting systems are unfair, she said, adding that “We have a nation that doesn’t believe in democracy, doesn’t believe in the voting.”

“There is no doubt that Donald Trump is a threat to our liberties and even to our democracy. But, in California, we defeat candidates at the polls. Everything else is a political distraction,” said California Governor Gavin Newsom.

In a recent article published by The Hill, David Axelrod, a former Obama adviser, said that a judicial ruling to exclude Trump from the primary ballot would rip the country apart.

As the United States heads towards a critical election, Trump’s exclusion from two state ballots may set the stage for a highly contentious electoral journey.

#UnitedStates | Colorado Supreme Court rules former president Donald Trump ineligible for 2024 presidential election. pic.twitter.com/ltuN0O0qcU

— teleSUR English (@telesurenglish)
December 20, 2023