Maine’s Secretary of State’s ruling to remove Trump from the ballot lacks teeth, appears politically motivated, and ultimately allows Trump to remain on the ballot
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OAN’s Daniel Baldwin
10:50 AM – Friday, December 29, 2023
The headline of every news network Thursday evening and Friday morning will say that former President Donald Trump was disqualified from the Maine state ballot. But that is not entirely accurate. In the final sentence of her 34-page ruling, Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows stayed her own decision temporarily.
“I will suspend the effect of my decision until the Superior Court rules on any appeal,” Bellows wrote.
This self-stay is consistent with the Colorado Supreme Court’s ruling as well, which saw the court temporarily suspend its own respective order.
“To maintain the status quo pending any review by the U.S. Supreme Court, we stay our ruling until January 4, 2024 (the day before the Secretary’s deadline to certify the content of the presidential primary ballot),” read the Colorado Supreme Court’s ruling. “If review is sought in the Supreme Court before the stay expires on January 4, 2024, then the stay shall remain in place, and the Secretary will continue to be required to include President Trump’s name on the 2024 presidential primary ballot, until the receipt of any order or mandate from the Supreme Court.”
That is exactly what happened. The Colorado GOP filed a petition to the U.S. Supreme Court Wednesday, asking the Court to reassess the 4-3 decision that barred Trump from running on the presidential ballot due to his role in the Jan. 6 riot. As a result, Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold announced that the order was stayed. Trump will remain on the Colorado ballot.
So, as of right now, Trump stays on the ballot in both Maine and Colorado, showing that not only were the rulings toothless, but also political in nature.
“This is an unprecedented action here,” Garrett Ventry, former senior advisor to the Senate Judiciary Committee, told One America News. “Donald Trump has not been indicted on inciting an insurrection in any of the four indictments. Frankly, he was even cleared of that charge in the United States Senate when they impeached him in the second impeachment.”
Bellows is not a lawyer, and she was not popularly elected by the voters of Maine. Instead she was elected to the position of Secretary of State by the Maine Legislature. Yet she claimed it was her “responsibility to act” by depriving voters in her state of their right to cast a ballot for Trump.
“This is an unelected bureaucrat essentially picked by an all Democrat controlled legislator, essentially deciding one politician for 1.7 million voters in Maine, and you’re talking about hundreds of thousand Republicans, she’s making that decision for them,” Ventry said. “And she’s not even elected by the people.”
Even members of her own party disagree with her decision.
“I voted to impeach Donald Trump for his role in the January 6th insurrection,” Democrat Maine Representative Jared Golden wrote. “I do not believe he should be re-elected as President of the United States. However, we are a nation of laws, therefore until he is actually found guilty of the crime of insurrection, he should be allowed on the ballot.”
Republican Maine officials also stepped up to the plate to denounce Bellows’ unilateral ruling.
“Maine voters should decide who wins the election – not a Secretary of State chosen by the Legislature,” wrote Republican Maine Senator Susan Collins.
Despite the fact that Trump remains on the ballot in both Colorado and Maine for the time being, unelected state bureaucrats are attempting to remove the power of citizens to elect the next commander in chief. Ventry says this existential threat to American democracy will result in voters backing Trump even more.
“They’re trying to essentially put him in jail and take him off the ballot,” Ventry said. “That is an unprecedented action. And voters do not like that. They see the naked partisanship of it.”
Polling affirms this sentiment. RealClearPolitics polling average shows Trump leading the GOP primary by 51.2% and the general election by 2.3%.
If Trump’s indictments are any indication, this latest brazen disenfranchisement of voters will only lead to even stronger polling numbers for the 45th president.
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How does public sentiment towards Trump and the attempt to remove him from the ballot reflect the perceived threat to American democracy
Title: Trump’s Disqualification from State Ballots: A Temporary Setback
Introduction:
In a recent development that has sparked headlines across news networks, former President Donald Trump was reported to have been disqualified from the Maine state ballot. However, a closer examination reveals that this disqualification is not entirely accurate, as the Secretary of State, Shenna Bellows, has temporarily stayed her own decision. This article investigates the implications of this temporary suspension on the Maine state ballot, as well as a parallel ruling in Colorado.
Temporary Stay in Maine and Colorado:
Secretary of State Shenna Bellows, in the final sentence of her 34-page ruling, indicated that she would suspend the effect of her decision until the Superior Court rules on any potential appeal. This self-stay aligns with the Colorado Supreme Court’s ruling, where they temporarily suspended their own respective order. The Colorado GOP filed a petition to the U.S. Supreme Court, resulting in the temporary removal of the disqualification order in Colorado. As a consequence, Trump remains on the Colorado ballot.
Political Implications:
Currently, Trump’s name remains on the ballot in both Maine and Colorado, demonstrating that the initial rulings were not only ineffective but also potentially motivated by political considerations. Experts argue that the unprecedented manner in which the decisions were made by unelected bureaucrats raises concerns about voter disenfranchisement and undermines the power of citizens in determining the next commander in chief.
Questionable Decision-Making:
Critics highlight the questionable decision-making process in disqualifying Trump from the Maine ballot. Secretary Bellows, who was not popularly elected but rather appointed by the Maine Legislature, stated that it was her “responsibility to act” by denying voters their right to cast a ballot for Trump. Even members of Bellows’ own party, such as Democrat Maine Representative Jared Golden, argue that until Trump is officially found guilty of the crime of insurrection, he should be allowed on the ballot. Republican Maine officials, including Senator Susan Collins, also denounced Bellows’ ruling, advocating for the voters to decide the election’s outcome.
Public Sentiment and Potential Impact:
Public sentiment appears to be in favor of Trump, as polling averages indicate his lead in the GOP primary and a narrow lead in the general election. The brazen attempt by unelected state bureaucrats to disenfranchise voters and remove Trump from the ballot is seen as an existential threat to American democracy. Experts believe that such actions will only strengthen support for Trump, as voters perceive the naked partisanship behind these decisions.
Conclusion:
The temporary stay on Trump’s disqualification from the Maine state ballot highlights the complexity and politically charged nature of the issue. The parallel ruling in Colorado adds further weight to the argument that these decisions may be motivated by factors beyond legal grounds. As the legal battles unfold, the significance of these rulings and their potential impact on the 2024 presidential election remain to be seen. It is evident that both Trump’s supporters and critics will closely monitor the outcome, with the former likely to rally around the 45th president in response to perceived voter disenfranchisement.
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