As highlighted by Breitbart News’s Hannah Bleau Knudsen, the impact of the decision to disqualify Donald Trump from the 2024 primary ballot in Maine is contingent upon the ruling of the U.S. Supreme Court. Notably, a similar ruling in Colorado, challenged by Trump’s legal team and the Colorado Republican Party, is also pending before the U.S. Supreme Court. In Colorado, the order has been temporarily stayed, allowing Trump’s name to remain on the ballot until the high court renders a decision.
Following the Thursday announcement of Bellows’s ruling, Republicans and Trump supporters expressed strong criticism, with many characterizing the decision as an assault on the democratic principles of the United States. Donald Trump Jr., in a post on X, pointed to Bellows’s decision as indicative of hypocrisy among Democrats who vocally advocate for the preservation of democracy.
If you were looking for the perfect example of Democrat hypocrisy when they screech about preserving democracy, remember that this is the ME secretary of state, who unilaterally decided Donald Trump should not be on the ballot in Maine. Not a court decision, no one else just one… pic.twitter.com/1lAN2bNjDk
— Donald Trump Jr. (@DonaldJTrumpJr) December 29, 2023
In a social media post, Donald Trump Jr. asserted, “Democrats could not care less about democracy, only power. Remember that when they show you who they are!” Accompanying his statement were two photos—one featuring Shenna Bellows alongside former President Barack Obama and another with her pictured alongside President Joe Biden.
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA), a supporter of Trump for president, characterized the decision as “reckless and partisan” in a separate social media post. However, he expressed confidence that the Supreme Court would ultimately overturn the ruling.
The Maine Secretary of State’s decision to remove Trump from the ballot is reckless and partisan. I am confident the Supreme Court will reverse it.
— Speaker Mike Johnson (@SpeakerJohnson) December 29, 2023
Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich (R-GA), a predecessor of Johnson, argued that the ongoing conflict against Trump has transformed into a broader struggle waged by the left against the American people. According to Gingrich, this perceived war is resulting in the deprivation of rights and freedoms for the American populace.
Over 1, 300,000 Coloradans voted for Trump in 2020. They are now stripped of their freedom. Trump carried the northern district of Maine,. They are now denied that right. Robert F Kennedy Jr and No Labels are both having rights denied by the totalitarian left. This is an assault on American freedom not on President Trump
The war against Trump has evolved into a war by the left against the American people. Over 1, 300,000 Coloradans voted for Trump in 2020. They are now stripped of their freedom. Trump carried the northern district of Maine,. They are now denied that right. Robert F Kennedy Jr and…
— Newt Gingrich (@newtgingrich) December 29, 2023
Vivek Ramaswamy, one of Trump’s Republican primary opponents, shared a comparable viewpoint in a post on X, asserting that Bellows’s ruling “is what an actual threat to democracy looks like.” He emphasized that the system seems determined to remove Trump, disregarding constitutional principles. Ramaswamy reiterated his commitment to withdraw his name from the ballot in states where Trump’s candidacy is ultimately invalidated.
This is what an *actual* threat to democracy looks like. The system is hellbent on taking this man out, the Constitution be damned.
— Vivek Ramaswamy (@VivekGRamaswamy) December 29, 2023
I stand by my prior pledge to *withdraw* from any state’s ballot that ultimately removes Trump from its ballot. I call on DeSantis, Christie, and… https://t.co/ucpTI7o86K
In a follow-up video, Ramaswamy contended that the ruling highlights the Democrats and the anti-Trump political establishment’s firm resolve to prevent Trump from reclaiming the White House.
Open your eyes, people. That’s all I ask. pic.twitter.com/l64E5db5ks
— Vivek Ramaswamy (@VivekGRamaswamy) December 29, 2023
“We must acknowledge the harsh reality that they won’t allow this man to come anywhere close to the finish line. It’s a tough truth. We can’t succumb to their tactics. They’re offering us the rope today that they will use to hang us tomorrow,” asserted Ramaswamy.
Representative Ronny Jackson (R-TX), who previously served as the White House physician for both Trump and Obama, labeled this action as “ELECTION INTERFERENCE” in his post on X.
