Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows, a Democrat, explained the decision because Mr. Trump incited the January 6 riot at the Capitol after the 2020 election. “The U.S. Constitution does not tolerate an attack on the foundation of our government ,” she wrote in the 34-page ruling.
Former US President Donald Trump, Republican candidate, attends a campaign event in Waterloo, Iowa, US on December 19, 2023. Photo: Reuters
The decision can be appealed to the Maine Supreme Court. The Trump campaign said it would quickly file a lawsuit challenging the “brutal” decision.
Mr Trump's lawyers have disputed his involvement in the riot and argued that his remarks to supporters on the day of the 2021 riot were protected by his free speech rights.
Maine's decision came after a group of former state lawmakers argued that Mr Trump should be disqualified based on a provision of the US Constitution that bars people from holding office if they have taken part in "insurrection or rebellion".
The ruling only applies to Maine's March primary, but it could affect Trump's standing if he makes it to the general election in November 2024.
Maine is expected to go to President Joe Biden’s Democratic Party. But Mr. Trump won one electoral vote from Maine in both the 2016 and 2020 elections. Candidates must win at least 270 electoral votes to win the presidency.
Before Maine, the Colorado Supreme Court on December 19 also disqualified Mr. Trump from the state's primary ballot, making him the first candidate in US history to be considered ineligible to run for president for participating in an insurrection.
Mr Trump has vowed to appeal Colorado’s ruling to the Supreme Court, calling it “undemocratic” to be barred from appearing on the state’s ballot. The Colorado Republican Party filed its own appeal to the Supreme Court on Wednesday.
Several recent attempts in other states to remove Mr. Trump have been rejected. The high court in Michigan, a key election battleground, on Wednesday declined to hear a lawsuit seeking to remove Mr. Trump from the state’s primary ballot.
Hoang Anh (according to Reuters, AP, CNN)
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