Maine blocks Trump from GOP presidential primary
The US state of Maine on Thursday blocked former president Donald Trump from its Republican presidential primary ballot, becoming the second state to disqualify him over his role in the January 2021 assault on the US Capitol. Maine's top election official, Secretary of State Shenna Bellows, said in her ruling that the events of January 6, 2021 "occurred at the behest of, and with the knowledge and support of, the outgoing President". "The US Constitution does not tolerate an assault on the foundations of our government and [Maine law] requires me to act in response," read the ruling, which came in response to challenges filed by a handful of Maine voters. Maine joins Colorado, where the state supreme court earlier this month found Trump ineligible for the presidency, moves that will certainly be challenged in the US Supreme Court. The rulings in both states invoked the US Constitution's 14th Amendment, which bars from office anyone formerly sworn to protect the country who later engages in insurrection. "I do not reach this conclusion lightly," wrote Bellows, a Democrat. "I am mindful that no Secretary of State has ever deprived a presidential candidate of ballot access based on Section Three of the 14th Amendment. I am also mindful, however, that no presidential candidate has ever before engaged in insurrection." Trump's campaign quickly slammed Bellows' ruling as "attempted theft of an election and the disenfranchisement of the American voter" and called her a "virulent leftist and a hyper-partisan Biden-supporting Democrat". "These partisan election interference efforts are a hostile assault on American democracy," campaign spokesman Steven Cheung said in a statement, accusing President Joe Biden and Democrats of "relying on the force of government institutions to protect their grip on power". Cheung said Trump would appeal the ruling. Fellow Republicans jumped to Trump's defence, including Florida Governor Ron DeSantis who is also seeking the party's nomination. "It opens up Pandora's Box. Can you have a Republican Secretary of State disqualify Biden from the ballot?" he said. (AFP)