The decision to keep former President Donald Trump off the Maine primary ballot has drawn criticism from Republican presidential candidate Chris Christie.
What Happened: The former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, in an interview with CNN, vocally opposed the choice to exclude Trump from Maine’s primary ballot under the 14th Amendment, suggesting it could turn Trump into a “martyr.”
“It makes him a martyr," Christie said.
"You know, he's very good at playing ‘Poor me, poor me,' he's always complaining. The poor billionaire from New York who's spending everybody else's money to pay his legal fees.”
See Also: Nikki Haley Promises To Pardon Trump If She Becomes President ‘So That We Can Move On As A Country’
Earlier this week, Shenna Bellows, Maine Secretary of State, asserted that Trump had propagated a “false narrative of election fraud” to rally his followers and disrupt the 2020 election’s certification and peaceful transition of power.
"Mr. Trump's occasional requests that rioters be peaceful and support law enforcement do not immunize his actions," she said.
"A brief call to obey the law does not erase conduct over the course of months, culminating in his speech on the Ellipse. The weight of the evidence makes clear that Mr. Trump was aware of the tinder laid by his multi-month effort to delegitimize a democratic election, and then chose to light a match."
Why It Matters: The Maine verdict mirrors a similar move made by the Colorado Supreme Court last week. Trump’s campaign has vehemently contested the decision, branding Bellows a “hyper-partisan Biden-supporting Democrat,” accusing her of electoral interference.
Meanwhile, the Colorado GOP has contested the previous state’s decision to exclude Trump from the ballot, taking their case to the U.S. Supreme Court. Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold announced that Trump would remain on the ballot unless the Supreme Court declines to hear the case or upholds the state’s decision.
Trump’s niece, Mary Trump, welcomed the Maine ruling, stating that “no one should give Donald a free pass.” She urged other states to follow Maine’s lead.
House Oversight Committee Chair, Rep. James Comer (R-Ky.), predicts that more states may follow Maine’s example. He voiced his concern that such decisions might be seen as election interference.
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This content was partially produced with the help of Benzinga Neuro and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
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