California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) recently dealt a blow to his fellow Democrats wishing to unconstitutionally remove former President Donald Trump from The Golden State’s ballot in 2024.
The Colorado Supreme Court recently decided to bar the former president from appearing on the state’s ballot in the 2024 presidential election, citing Trump’s role in the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol protests. Such a blatantly political ruling will likely not remain in effect for long, considering that appeals to the conservative-led U.S. Supreme Court will be made.
After Colorado’s decision, officials in California began assessing their options to remove their greatest political opponent from the state’s ballot, but it appears Newsom isn’t too fond of the idea.
In a statement, Newsom called Trump a “threat,” but pointed out that unilaterally removing a candidate from the state’s ballot would be engaging in “political distraction.”
“There is no doubt that Donald Trump is a threat to our liberties and even to our democracy,” the California governor said, adding, “but in California, we defeat candidates at the polls. Everything else is a political distraction.”
NEW: CA governor Gavin Newsom is *defending* Donald Trump after the Colorado Supreme Court voted to remove him from their ballot.
Finding Democrats who still support democracy is rare these days.
The comment from Newsom came days after Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis called on the… pic.twitter.com/JuvlwZIk7f
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) December 23, 2023
The left has repeatedly used the 14th Amendment as grounds to prohibit Trump from running for president.
In September 2023, nine California lawmakers sent a letter to state Attorney General Rob Bonta, emphasizing the need for him to pronounce Trump ineligible for office under the 14th Amendment.
Just recently, California Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis (D) wrote to California Secretary of State Shirley Weber, asking her to “explore every legal option” to remove Trump from the ballot.
“California must stand on the right side of history,” Kounalakis wrote. “California is obligated to determine if Trump is ineligible for the California ballot.”
Kounalakis, who launched an unsuccessful California gubernatorial bid in 2006, said the decision to remove the former president from the ballot is “a dire matter that puts at stake the sanctity of our constitution and our democracy.”
A multitude of GOP presidential contenders condemned the Colorado Supreme Court’s decision to interfere in the 2024 presidential election by barring Trump from The Centennial State’s ballot, including entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R).
