California keeps Trump on 2024 ballot as secretary of state rejects calls from fellow Dems to remove him

Despite calls from her Democratic colleagues to remove Donald Trump's name, Shirley Weber maintained that the former president was eligible, and included him in the list.

Prior to publishing the document, Weber had been pressured by California Lieutenant Governor Eleni Kounalakis to "explore every legal option" to remove Tump from the ballot. In her letter, Kounalakis cited the recent Colorado Supreme Court ruling, which found the ex-commander in chief ineligible under the insurrection clause of the 14th Amendment.

"I must place the sanctity of these elections above partisan politics," Weber wrote in response, adding that her office "has been engaged in multiple lawsuits regarding the former President's appearance on the ballot."

"While we can agree that the attack on the Capitol and the former President's involvement was abhorrent," she continued, "there are complex legal issues surrounding this matter. The former President's conduct tainted and continues to sow the public's mistrust in government and the legitimacy of elections, so it is more critical than ever to safeguard elections in a way that transcends political divisions. Removing a candidate from the ballot under [the insurrection clause] is not something my office takes lightly."

Among those who shared Weber's opinion was Governor Gavin Newsom. As Politico reports, while the governor admitted that "there is no doubt that Donald Trump is a threat to our liberties and even to our democracy," he emphasized that "in California, we defeat candidates at the polls. Everything else is a political distraction."

While Trump is safe on the ballot in the Golden State, over on the other side of the country, he has been barred from the primary in Maine. On Thursday, Secretary of State Shenna Bellows declared him inelligible under the insurrection clause. The attempt to remove Trump from the Colorado ballot will likely move to the Supreme Court.