Trump to appear on primary ballot in California



Former President Donald Trump, who according to polls is the clear frontrunner to win the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, will appear on the 2024 primary ballot in California.

Last week California Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis pressed California Secretary of State Shirley Weber to "explore every legal option to remove" Trump from the presidential primary ballot. Kounalakis has her sights set on winning the governorship in the Golden State's 2026 gubernatorial contest.

But this week Weber released the certified list of candidates who will be on primary ballots, and the list includes Trump.

The Los Angeles Times reported that Weber said she considers Trump's "behavior and his actions, not just as a former president, but as a citizen of the United States, to be abhorrent and disturbing and an attack on democracy."

"But at the same time, if I believe in this democracy that is there, I have to basically continue to abide by the rule of law, and for me not to do that, then I am no better than Trump," she noted, according to the outlet. "And I must be better than Trump."

Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows has moved to block Trump from the primary ballot in that state, though she also suspended the effect of her decision.

"I find that the primary petition of Mr. Trump is invalid," she wrote in her ruling. "I will suspend the effect of my decision until the Superior Court rules on any appeal, or the time to appeal ... has expired."

The Colorado Supreme Court declared that Trump should not be included on the primary ballot, but stayed its decision until January 4, noting that "If review is sought in the Supreme Court before the stay expires, it shall remain in place, and the Secretary will continue to be required to include President Trump's name on the 2024 presidential primary ballot until the receipt of any order or mandate from the Supreme Court."

The Colorado Republican Party has sought Supreme Court review.

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California lt. gov. makes hilarious mistake in letter demanding Trump be kept off 2024 ballot: 'Explore every legal option'



Someone get California Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis (D) an editor.

On Wednesday, Kounalakis sent a letter to California Secretary of State Shirley Weber (D) demanding she "explore every legal option to remove former President Donald Trump from California’s 2024 presidential primary ballot."

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Kounalakis said the Colorado Supreme Court, which ruled on Tuesday that Trump is constitutionally ineligible to run for president under Section 3 of the 14th Amendment, prompted her request.

"This decision is about honoring the rule of law in our country and protecting the fundamental pillars of our democracy," Kounalakis argued. "California must stand on the right side of history. California is obligated to determine if Trump is ineligible for the California ballot for the same reasons as in [the Colorado case]. The Colorado decision can be the basis for a similar decision here in our state."

That's when Kounalakis made a simple, yet telling mistake.

She declared that the Constitution "is clear" regarding the qualifications for president: A candidate must "not be an insurrectionist," and they "must be 40 years old."

But, wait. That's not right, is it? No, it's not. Article II, Section 1 of the Constitution lists the qualifications for president:

No Person except a natural born Citizen, or a Citizen of the United States, at the time of the Adoption of this Constitution, shall be eligible to the Office of President; neither shall any Person be eligible to that Office who shall not have attained to the Age of thirty five Years, and been fourteen Years a Resident within the United States.

To be fair, Kounalakis is not a lawyer, so perhaps it is not charitable to assume she holds intimate knowledge of the Constitution. On the other hand, the qualifications for president are taught in every high school civics class in the country.

Kounalakis later released an updated letter that included the correct age-qualification for presidential candidacy.

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