Trump asks Maine court to overturn his removal from state primary ballot

Bellows in December determined that Trump was ineligible to seek the presidency under the 14th Amendment due to his role in the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol Riot.

By Ben Whedon

Published: January 2, 2024 4:54pm

Updated: January 2, 2024 5:14pm

Former President Donald Trump on Tuesday asked a court to overturn Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows's decision to remove him from the state's ballot in 2024, CNN reported.

Bellows in December determined that Trump was ineligible to seek the presidency under the 14th Amendment due to his role in the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot. Her decision followed a ruling from the Colorado Supreme Court to the same effect, though Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold subsequently announced she would include him on the primary ballot should the Supreme Court side with him.

The Trump campaign at the time vigorously condemned Bellows's move, saying "[t]he Maine Secretary of State is a former ACLU attorney, a virulent leftist and a hyper-partisan Biden-supporting Democrat who has decided to interfere in the presidential election on behalf of Crooked Joe Biden."

Bellows has paused Trump's disqualification to allow time for the Republican to appeal before the primary, which is slated for March 5.

Ben Whedon is an editor and reporter for Just the News. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter.