Donald Trump has been officially disqualified from running for president in the 2024 election by the state of Maine, making it the second state to do so after Colorado.
The decision was made by Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows, who cited Trump’s alleged involvement in the Capitol riot as the reason for his ineligibility.
In her ruling, Bellows stated that Trump’s primary petition was invalid and that he was not qualified to hold the office of the President under Section Three of the Fourteenth Amendment.
This section of the US Constitution prohibits individuals who have engaged in insurrection or rebellion from holding any office, civil or military. Originally added in the 1860s to disqualify politicians who supported the Confederacy during the civil war, it now serves as the basis for Trump’s disqualification in Maine.
In the race for the Republican Party’s nomination to challenge President Joe Biden in 2024, Trump currently holds the lead. However, the final decision on his candidacy rests with the Supreme Court, as Colorado Republicans have already appealed the state’s decision to exclude him from the ballot.
The party’s attorneys expressed concern that if the Colorado Supreme Court’s ruling stands, it would set a precedent allowing any voter to sue and disqualify any political candidate.
They argued that this would not only impact the upcoming presidential election but also drag the court into political controversies surrounding vague accusations of insurrection. On the other side, Democrats have accused Trump of incitement following the events of January 6, 2021, when a mob of his supporters stormed the Capitol building in an attempt to disrupt the certification of Biden’s election victory.
Trump maintains that the 2020 election was rigged but denies any involvement in the violence that occurred on Capitol Hill, asserting that the allegations against him are politically motivated.
