California Secretary of State explains why she kept ex-president on state's ballot
The Golden State's not going to scratch Trump from the ballot. Yet.
That's according to Secretary of State Shirley Weber who appeared on CNN to discuss the state's move to hold off dropping the 45th president from running in the GOP primary.
"We have looked and looked, and we have observed and we've watched every case that's come out," she said. "I have 18 attorneys that are basically focused on this in my office, as well as our attorney general has been involved with this particular issue over the last few months."
"So, we are still looking and we haven't said, 'Oh, it's — you know, we're going to keep him' — quote, unquote, on the ballot. He is listed on the ballot because we don't have the authority yet to take him off the ballot."
Weber's office had to meet Thursday's deadline to certify the the slate of official candidates vying for California's March 5, 2024, presidential primary election.
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Trump made the cut of certified Republican candidates, shortly after Maine's Democratic Secretary of State Shanna Bellows disqualified him from appearing on the state's GOP primary ballot following Colorado's Supreme Court 4 to 3 decision.
California's hands-off move stands in opposition to states who booted Trump based on his actions related to the deadly Capitol riot of Jan. 6, 2021 being unconstitutional based on Section 3 of the 14th Amendment.
The language reads: "No person shall be a Senator or Representative in Congress, or elector of President and Vice-President, or hold any office, civil or military, under the United States, or under any State, who, having previously taken an oath...shall have engaged in insurrection or rebellion..."
When pressed to answer if she personally believes Trump engaged in insurrection, Weber, a Democrat, didn't equivocate.
"Oh, it's no question in my mind that he engaged in it," she said. He encouraged it.
"I mean, all the evidence is there."
But so far she doesn't believe there's enough evidence to remove him.
"He's not been tried for insurrection," she noted. "The others have, but he has not."
So Weber believes there's only one recourse.
"And so that, in itself, gives us — puts us in a position where the Supreme Court has to act."