(Luis Cornelio, Headline USA) Far-left activists and anti-Trump Republicans are orchestrating an insidious scheme to block former President Donald Trump, the leading GOP candidate for president in 2024, from appearing on the ballots in key states.
At the heart of the controversy lies a leftist interpretation of the 14th Amendment to the Constitution. Some argue that Trump, despite no conviction, is guilty of leading the isolated violence on January 6, 2021 in the U.S. Capitol.
Robert Davis, a leftist activist, is influencing Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, a Democrat, to block Trump from the state’s 2024 ballots. “I think this legal question is very important to be decided well in advance of the primary elections for either side,” Davis said in statements to the Detroit News.
Former U.S. Senate candidate Bryant “Corky” Messner has also entered the fray, voicing concerns about Trump’s eligibility in New Hampshire. “I’m a Constitutional conservative. The words say what they say,” Messner told Politico, echoing Davis. “I quite frankly believe it is in Donald Trump’s best interest to get this looked at as quickly as possible.”
However, the debate faces staunch opposition. Turning Point USA Founder Charlie Kirk criticized the claims that local officials could unilaterally remove Trump from the ballots.
“‘Legal scholars’ are arguing that local elected officials at both the state and county level have the power to unilaterally remove Trump from the ballot on the basis of the 14th Amendment—WITHOUT even so much as a conviction,” Kirk said before warning that GOP officials should also bar scandal-ridden President Joe Biden from similarly appearing on the ballots.
Ryan Fournier, the founder of Students for Trump, echoed Kirk’s comments, saying, “If they remove Trump from the ballot in Democrat states, we MUST do the same to Biden in Republican states. Fight fire with FIRE.”
If they remove Trump from the ballot in Democrat states, we MUST do the same to Biden in Republican states.
Fight fire with FIRE.
— Ryan Fournier (@RyanAFournier) August 21, 2023
Chris Agers, chairman of the N.H. GOP, stressed the potential consequences for both parties and warned that the N.H. attorney general would block efforts to prohibit Trump from appearing on the ballots of the 2024 election.
“We’re not going to stand for it in New Hampshire,” Agers said during an interview shared by Kirk on Twitter. “We’re just not going to stand for it. I’ve talked to the secretary of state. I’ve talked to the attorney general. I’m very confident that all of the 14 current candidates who applied will be on our ballot.”
