Maine also removes Trump from the ballot
After Colorado, a second US state does not want former US President Trump to take part in the presidential primaries. Maine's chief electoral officer deems the Republican unfit for public office. His team immediately announces an appeal.
After Colorado, Maine is the second US state to exclude former President Donald Trump from his party's presidential primaries. The Democratic Secretary of State Shenna Bellows, who is responsible for the elections in Maine, justified the move with the Republican's role in the Capitol storming on 6 January 2021. Trump's campaign team announced its intention to take legal action against the decision.
According to the 14th Amendment to the US Constitution, Trump is not qualified for the office of president. The constitutional amendment, which dates back to the Civil War, stipulates that no person may hold public office if they have participated in a "riot or insurrection" against the Constitution after taking an oath to defend it.
She did not come to the conclusion lightly, Bellows explained. However, the events of January 6, 2021, had taken place "at the behest and with the knowledge and support" of the outgoing president. Bellows stated that in the event of a legal challenge before the Supreme Court in Maine, the decision would be suspended. A spokesperson for Trump's campaign team immediately announced that the decision would be challenged. Trump's campaign team described Bellows' decision as "attempted theft of an election", among other things.
Trump received support from his fellow Republicans, including from his internal party rivals. The governor of Florida, Ron DeSantis, who is also running for the candidacy, commented: "This opens Pandora's box".
On December 19, the Supreme Court in Colorado ruled in a sensational decision that Trump should not be allowed to take part in his party's presidential primaries in the state because of his role in the Capitol storming. This decision also referred to the constitutional amendment, but it is not final. The court in Colorado put its decision on hold until January 4 to allow time for an appeal. The Republicans have since lodged their appeal. It is now up to the US Supreme Court to clarify whether the states can decide the question of eligibility for the presidency individually - or whether a uniform decision is required.
Proceedings have also been initiated in other states to have Trump excluded from the primaries. These were rejected in Michigan and Minnesota, while the process is still ongoing in Oregon.
Trump is the clear favorite among Republicans
Trump is the overwhelming favorite in the race for the Republican presidential nomination and leads the polls by a large margin. The Republican primaries begin on January 15 in the state of Iowa. The winner of the primary will run against incumbent Joe Biden of the Democratic Party in the presidential election on November 5, 2024.
Biden had beaten Trump in the 2020 presidential election. Trump refused to acknowledge his defeat, however, and made widely refuted accusations of massive electoral fraud. The right-wing populist's crusade against his election defeat culminated in an attack by radical Trump supporters on Congress, where Biden's election victory was to be finally confirmed on January 6, 2021. Shortly before the attack, Trump had called on his supporters to march to the Capitol and fight "come hell or high water".
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Despite facing challenges in several states, Trump remains the clear favorite among Republicans for the US presidential election 2024. In defiance of his exclusion from the ballot in Maine, Trump's campaign team announced an appeal against the decision.
Source: www.ntv.de
