01/02/2024 11:47 pm (Act. 01/02/2024 11:47 pm)
Trump will also likely appeal the exclusion in Colorado ©APA/AFP
Former US President Donald Trump is legally defending himself against the state of Maine's decision to exclude him from the local primary elections for the Republican presidential candidacy. Trump's lawyers filed a formal objection to the decision by the state's top election supervisor in a Maine court on Tuesday.
According to this, the Republican disqualified himself from the office of president due to his behavior in relation to the storming of the United States Capitol on January 6, 2021. Among other things, he argues that Secretary of State Shenna Bellows, responsible for elections, is biased and has no legal authority to make such a decision. The decision is also based on several errors and is arbitrary.
Bellows made his decision public last week but put it on hold pending Trump's objection. Therefore, nothing has been finally decided yet. This also applies to another US state where a similar decision was made: in Colorado, the Supreme Court also ruled a few days ago that Trump was unfit for the office of president due to his role in the storming of the Capitol and therefore could not participate in the primary elections. Trump is also expected to appeal. In the end, the U.S. Supreme Court will likely have to clarify the delicate issue.
Trump supporters violently stormed the parliament building in Washington on January 6, 2021. Congress met there to formally confirm Democrat Joe Biden's victory in the 2020 presidential election. Trump had previously incited his supporters during a speech, claiming that his electoral victory had been stolen from him through massive fraud. As a result of the riots, five people died. Trump faces accusations of attempted voter fraud for his actions surrounding the vote.