California Lt. governor seeks to remove Trump from primary ballot
WATERLOO, IOWA - DECEMBER 19: Republican presidential candidate and former U.S. President Donald Trump speaks at a campaign event on December 19, 2023 in Waterloo, Iowa. Iowa (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images)
Following the ruling by Colorado's Supreme Court that said Donald Trump is ineligible for the state's presidential primary, California's lieutenant governor is calling to have him removed from the ballot here.
The Colorado court found that Trump should not be listed among the candidates in the 2024 primary because his actions around the Jan. 6 riot at the Capitol amounted to insurrection.
"Based on the Colorado Supreme Court's ruling… I urge you to explore every legal option to remove former President Donald Trump from California's 2024 presidential primary ballot," Eleni Kounalakis wrote in a letter to Secretary of State Shirley Weber that was released Wednesday.
"California must stand on the right side of history," Kounalakis's letter said. "The constitution is clear: you must be 35 years old and not be an insurrectionist" to be president of the United States.
Time is short to make a decision. Weber must announce the certified list of candidates on Dec. 28. The California presidential primary is March 5, 2024.
Trump's team criticized the Colorado ruling and said it would appeal to the Supreme Court.
"This ruling, issued by the Colorado Supreme Court, attacks the very heart of this nation’s democracy. It will not stand, and we trust that the Supreme Court will reverse this unconstitutional order," Trump legal spokeswoman Alina Habba said Tuesday.