Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows has removed former President Donald Trump (R) from the state’s primary ballot, citing the U.S. Constitution’s 14th Amendment “insurrection” provision.
Bellows served as a Democratic state senator before being selected by the state legislature to serve as the Secretary of State. In 2014 she ran for the U.S. Senate but lost to incumbent and current Senator Susan Collins (R-ME), according to Ballotpedia.
The Trump campaign released a statement regarding the decision.
According to The Hill, Trump campaign spokesperson Steven Cheung mentioned that this move is “a disenfranchisement” of the American people.
“We are witnessing, in real-time, the attempted theft of an election and the disenfranchisement of the American voter,” spokesman Steven Cheung said in a statement. “Make no mistake, these partisan election interference efforts are a hostile assault on American democracy.”
Florida Governor and presidential candidate Ron DeSantis (R-FL) provided his thoughts during an appearance on Fox News. He questioned the idea of “one bureaucrat” deciding who can and cannot appear on a ballot.
👀DESANTIS reacts to Maine removing Trump from the ballot:
"It opens up Pandora's Box. Can you have a Republican Secretary of State disqualify Biden from the ballot? Because he's let in 8 million people illegally, a massive invasion."
"We win when we hold Biden accountable and… pic.twitter.com/TT0NSaMKro
— DeSantis War Room 🐊 (@DeSantisWarRoom) December 29, 2023
"It opens up Pandora's Box. Can you have a Republican Secretary of State disqualify Biden from the ballot? Because he's let in 8 million people illegally, a massive invasion," said Gov. DeSantis. He also stated, "We win when we hold Biden accountable and talk about the issues that matter to the American people."
Florida Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis commented on the Trump ruling in Maine and even called for an investigation by the Department of Justice.
I am immediately calling for an investigation by the Department of Justice into Civil Rights violations. We all know that if a Red State did this to Biden they’d dispatch the FBI all over the place… https://t.co/ppLE5bMJbS
— Jimmy Patronis (@JimmyPatronis) December 29, 2023
“I am immediately calling for an investigation by the Department of Justice into Civil Rights violations. We all know that if a Red State did this to Biden they’d dispatch the FBI all over the place…” said CFO Patronis.
On Dec. 19, Colorado took the same action against the 45th President when the state’s supreme court voted 4-3 to deny Trump from the state primary.
According to Ballotpedia, the Colorado Supreme Court is the 16th most liberal court in the United States. It does not have a single right-leaning justice. All justices are either considered an “Intermediate,” a “Mild Democrat,” or a “Strong Democrat.”
This is a developing story.
