Staff Reports
In a recent turn of events, Rep. Jared Golden (D-ME) is making some waves by calling for former President Donald Trump to be allowed on the Maine ballot. Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows has thrown a curveball and blocked Trump from the 2024 ballot, alleging that he violated Section 3 of the 14th Amendment through his actions on January 6, 2021. But hold on to your hats, folks, because Golden is here to stir the pot and disagree with Bellows, claiming that Trump did not violate the Constitution.
https://twiter.com/dcexaminer/status/1740810027999408235?s=20
Now, let’s dig into this a bit. Golden may have voted to impeach Donald Trump for his role in the January 6th insurrection, but he’s still waving the “nation of laws” flag and insisting that Trump should be allowed on the ballot until he’s actually found guilty of the crime of insurrection. Well, well, well, look at that! It seems like Golden is trying to play both sides of the fence here, folks.
Golden’s stance has sparked a wild frenzy of both approval and disapproval online. Even sports commentator Keith Olbermann has thrown his two cents into the mix, pointing out that the Constitution doesn’t require a conviction for someone to be deemed as having engaged in insurrection or rebellion.
Golden’s fellow House member, Rep. Chellie Pingree (D-ME), is singing a whole different tune, backing up Bellows’s decision and citing the clear text of the Fourteenth Amendment. Pingree is adamant that no person who engaged in an insurrection against the government can ever again serve in elected office.
Let’s not forget that Maine’s 2nd District voted for Trump in both the 2016 and 2020 presidential elections, despite the state ultimately electing President Joe Biden in the 2020 election. Now, Golden, who is up for reelection in 2024 with no Democratic opponent in the primary, is really throwing caution to the wind by taking this bold stance on Trump.
