Long-shot Democratic presidential candidates came to a consensus around efforts across the country to ban former President Trump from primary ballots, calling the move “dangerous.”
Three of President Biden’s challengers were asked in forum, hosted by NewsNation’s Dan Abrams, about their thoughts around Colorado and Maine decisions to disqualify Trump from the ballot under accusations that he violated the 14th Amendment’s insurrection clause. Under the law, anyone who has sworn an oath to the Constitution is prohibited from engaging in rebellion or insurrection against the U.S. government.
Author Marianne Williamson said she thinks the move is “very dangerous.”
“He has not been convicted of the crime of insurrection. He hasn’t been, and so for a judge to just opine on this, I think it’s very dangerous,” Williamson told Abrams. “The people who love Donald Trump are going to vote for Donald Trump.”
“We could indict him 91 more times, he could be in prison, people are going to vote for him,” she continued. “Anything we do to try to obstruct Donald Trump, this is not the way we’re going to win in ’24. We’re going to win in ’24 by offering the American people a better life.”
Candidates Rep. Dean Phillips (D-Minn.) and “The Young Turks” host Cenk Uygur, seemingly agreed — saying it should be up to the voters.
“I think the voters should decide, whether it’s us in primaries being put on the ballots, or Donald Trump in a primary or general election being put on a ballot,” he said. “If we think democracy’s on the line, we should actually participate in democracy. We should support democracy.”
Phillips, the only lawmaker challenging Biden, reflected back on the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol. He said that while he agrees Trump “inspired” the insurrection, it should be put to the American voters to “be the judge and jury.”
His words come as the candidates wrestle with states across the country to include them on the Democratic primary ballot, despite Biden’s incumbency.
“I was trapped in the House chamber on Jan. 6. I’ll say the quiet part out loud, Donald Trump inspired an insurrection,” he said at the forum. “Every one of my colleagues in the Senate and House know it, we tried to prosecute him, and we failed.”
“Do I think the Democratic Party should pursue legal channels to beat Donald Trump? No!” he said. “The same way they shouldn’t pursue the same channels to keep us off the ballot.”
Colorado and Maine subsequently disqualified Trump from their primary ballots in December, ruling that by inflaming his supporters with false claims of election fraud and directing them to the Capitol, he violated the Constitution.
Trump’s team has filed appeals in both cases — and earlier this month, the Supreme Court agreed to review the Colorado ban. The Republican National Committee (RNC) and the National Republican Congressional Committee each filed an amicus brief in support his challenge.
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