In recent developments, the state of Maine has ruled out the possibility of former President Trump participating in the 2024 primary ballot. According to House Oversight Committee Chair, Rep. James Comer (R-Ky.), this decision is unsurprising, and he anticipates more states to follow similar paths.
What Happened: The Hill reported on Thursday that during a Fox News interview with Jason Chaffetz, Comer characterized Maine’s ruling as political. He anticipates other predominantly Democratic states to follow suit.
Back in his home state for the holidays, Comer claimed that the voters he spoke to consider the Democrats’ efforts to block Trump from appearing on the ballot in Democratic-led states as absurd.
“I mean, this is clearly election interference,” he repeated, echoing a common sentiment within the GOP.
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Comer views the Maine secretary of state’s decision as a strategy to draw attention away from the potential unpopularity of the Democratic candidate in the 2024 election. He believes that Democrats are attempting to hinder Republican momentum ahead of the presidential race.
Shenna Bellows, Maine’s Democratic secretary of state, ruled Trump unfit for office under the “insurrection clause” of the 14th Amendment. She asserted that Trump spurred his followers with a false narrative of election fraud, thereby disrupting the peaceful transfer of power.
Why It Matters: Comer’s comments appear when he is advocating for the impeachment of President Joe Biden following year-long investigations into the President’s family’s business transactions.
Comer himself is embroiled in a controversy. The recent revelations about his ownership of a shell company, Farm Team Properties, with a significant political donor have raised eyebrows.
Comer refuted allegations that Farm Team Properties is merely a shell company. He insisted that this business, co-owned with his wife, is a legitimate operation created to protect his farmland from legal implications. Comer justified the company’s formation, stating it was established on his accountant and lawyer’s advice to lease his farmland for hunting.
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