Gov. Newsom blasts effort to kick Trump off the California ballot

California Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom is blasting an effort to kick former President Donald Trump off the ballot in 2024. 

“There is no doubt that Donald Trump is a threat to our liberties and even to our democracy,” Newsom said in a statement, according to The New York Post. “But in California, we defeat candidates at the polls. Everything else is a political distraction.”

Shortly after the Colorado Supreme Court booted Trump from the 2024 primary ballot, California Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis urged Secretary of State Shirley Weber to explore legal avenues to kick him off that state's ballot. 

The California Republican primary is slated for March 5 and the final candidate list is due Dec. 28.

Trump currently stands as the clear frontrunner in the Republican primary, leading the field by 53.7%, based on RealClearPolitics averages. He also leads President Joe Biden by 2.6%.

Other states such as Virginia, West Virginia and Arizona have also attempted to remove Trump from the ballot under the 14th Amendment, citing that Trump participated in an insurrection during the Jan. 6 Capitol riot. 

A West Virginia judge earlier this week dismissed the lawsuit to keep the former president off the ballot, arguing it lacked standing.