California Democrats are dreaming of Donald Trump getting off the Golden State’s electoral ballot.
After the Colorado Supreme Court’s decision to disqualify Trump, 77, from the state’s 2024 GOP primary, Democratic Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis asked Sacramento’s secretary of state to seek a similar ruling on Wednesday.
“I urge you to explore every legal option to remove former President Donald Trump from the 2024 California presidential primary,” Kounalakis wrote to Secretary of State Shirley Weber.
“This decision is about respecting the rule of law in our country and protecting the pillars of our democracy,” he added, referring to the ruling outside Colorado.
The Centennial State’s high court handed down a 4-3 decision on Tuesday that concluded that the 45th president’s activities on January 6, 2021, “constituted open, voluntary and direct participation in rebellion” by his supporters at the US Capitol.
“Even when the siege at the Capitol was in full swing, he continued to support it by repeatedly demanding the Vice President [Mike] “Pence refused to perform his constitutional duty and by calling Senators to persuade them to stop the counting of electoral votes,” the majority opinion read.
Eleni Kounalakis is set to run in a potentially crowded primary contest for the Democratic nomination to become governor of California in 2026. AP
The judge argued that Trump must be disqualified from the ballot because of Section 3 of the Fourteenth Amendment, which prohibits those “engaged in rebellion or insurrection” from holding office.
The ruling was delayed until January 4, 2024, to give Trump time to file an appeal. Colorado officials have confirmed that January 5, 2024, is the deadline for printing ballots.
Trump has vowed to challenge the decision.
The Colorado GOP primary is scheduled for Super Tuesday on March 5, 2024, the same date as the California contest.
Donald Trump cried foul over the decision and claimed that the system conspired against him. Getty Images
“California must stand on the right side of history. California is responsible for determining whether Trump is ineligible for California’s vote for the same reason,” Kounalakis continued.
“There will inevitably be political views on the decision to remove Trump from the ballot, but this is not a matter of political games. This is a serious matter that risks the sanctity of our constitution and democracy.”
Embarrassingly, Kounalakis misstated the qualifications to be president in his letter to Weber, writing: “The Constitution is clear: you must be 40 years old and not a rebel.”
In fact, the Constitution says a president must be 35 years old and a natural born US citizen.
The Post reached out to both the Trump campaign and the California governor’s office for comment.
Eleni Kounalakis took note of the public’s perception of her request, but stressed the need to uphold the law. MediaNews Group via Getty Images
Kounalakis has already announced his intention to run for governor in 2026. Incumbent Gavin Newsom is term limited.
Weber’s office will announce the list of California-endorsed presidential primary candidates on Dec. 28.
Trump is the 2024 front-runner for the Republican nomination and has topped President Biden in several recent polls.
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
