California Governor Gavin Newsom (D) criticized a push from Lieutenant Governor Eleni Kounalakis (D) to consider banning Donald Trump from the state’s 2024 presidential primary ballot.
“There is no doubt that Donald Trump is a threat to our liberties and even to our democracy,” Newsom said in a statement, according to The New York Post. “But in California, we defeat candidates at the polls. Everything else is a political distraction.”
His comments come as Kounalakis (D) sent a letter to California Secretary of State, Dr. Shirley N. Weber (D), urging her to “explore every legal option” to remove Trump from the ballot.
“I am prompted by the Colorado Supreme Court’s recent ruling that former President Donald Trump is ineligible to appear on the state’s ballot as a Presidential Candidate due to his role in incising an insurrection in the U.S. on January 6, 2021,” the letter read. “This decision is about honoring the rule of law in our country and protecting the fundamental pillars of our democracy.”
“California must stand on the right side of history. California is obligated to determine if Trump is ineligible for the California ballot for the same reasons described in Anderson. The Colorado decision can be the basis for a similar decision here in our state. The constitution is clear: you must be 40 years old and not be an insurrectionist,” she added, although the minimum age to run for U.S. president is 35.
Kounalakis’ letter follows the Supreme Court of Colorado’s decision to remove Donald Trump from the state’s GOP Primary ballot.
Michigan, Oregon, New Jersey, Wisconsin, Alaska, Arizona, Nevada, New York, New Mexico, South Carolina, Texas, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, and Wyoming, also have efforts to remove Trump from the ballot.
