Donald Trump barred from participating in Maine's 2024 presidential primaries
Shafaq News / The State of Maine in the United States has decided to bar former President Donald Trump from participating in its presidential primaries due to being "unqualified." This decision comes in light of his involvement in the Capitol building breach on January 6, 2021, following President Joe Biden's assumption of the United States presidency.
Yesterday, the State of Maine ruled that former President Donald Trump is ineligible to run in the Republican Party primaries for the 2024 presidential election. This decision follows a similar ruling by the Supreme Court in the state of Colorado regarding the breach by a crowd of his supporters at the Congress headquarters in 2021.
In an official document, Maine's Democratic official in charge of elections, Shenna Bellows, declared Trump "unqualified for the presidency" under the 14th Amendment to the Constitution, which excludes anyone involved in "rebellion" from holding any public office.
Trump's electoral campaign spokesperson announced plans to challenge Maine's decision in court, possibly escalating to a final appeal before the US Supreme Court.
Trump swiftly condemned what he described as a decision taken by "extreme left" and "enthusiastic supporters" of Joe Biden. He stated through his campaign team, "We are witnessing a direct attempt to steal elections and deprive the American voter of their right to vote."
The Supreme Court in Colorado concluded that Trump "engaged in a rebellion on January 6, 2021," thus making the 14th Amendment applicable to him, rendering him ineligible for the presidency.
Following this verdict, which Trump's campaign pledged to challenge in the US Supreme Court, Biden, who aims for a second term in the elections scheduled at the end of next year, stated that his Republican predecessor "certainly supported a rebellion, there is no doubt about it, and he is insistent on what he did."
Earlier, the New York Times revealed that 16 US states filed lawsuits seeking to prevent former President Donald Trump from participating in their presidential primaries.
The newspaper wrote, "There are currently pending lawsuits in at least 16 states claiming that Trump is unfit for service under the 14th Amendment."
These legal claims allege that Trump participated in the "rebellion" during the events related to the Capitol building breach on January 6, 2021, which disqualifies him from participating in the presidential elections under the 14th Amendment to the Constitution.
Previously, the Supreme Court in Colorado barred former President Donald Trump from participating in the state's presidential primaries for the upcoming year.
Stephen Chung, spokesperson for Donald Trump's campaign, deemed Colorado's court decision as incorrect and vowed to appeal.
