In a recent development, former Ohio Governor John Kasich has expressed strong disapproval of Colorado's Supreme Court ruling that could potentially exclude former President Donald Trump from the state's 2024 election ballot.
Kasich, a known critic of Trump, has dismissed the ruling as "partisan nonsense."
The Colorado Supreme Court's decision is based on an alleged violation of the 14th Amendment's insurrection clause by Trump. This clause, established in the 1860s, was designed to prevent former Confederates from holding federal government positions following the Civil War. However, it is important to note that Trump has not been formally charged with or convicted of insurrection.
Kasich voiced his criticism during an appearance on MSNBC's "Chris Jansing Reports" on Wednesday. He condemned the idea of Colorado barring Trump from the 2024 ballot as not only unlikely but also fundamentally flawed.
"Its going nowhere. I mean, look, I dont need to lay out my bona fides as my opposition to Donald Trump, but this is just pure partisan ridiculous stuff here," Kasich stated.
Kasich also expressed concern about the potential political dangers of setting such a legal precedent. He warned that the ruling, which was made by a court composed entirely of Democrats, could lead to a cycle of retaliatory actions.
"Look, youve got a partisan court, all Democrats, and they barely, they barely could say that he should be disqualified, and think about the precedent of this. I always worry about that, I worry about the fact, Ive told you this before, You do this to me, and then I do this to you, and this just goes on and on and on," he explained. "I just think this case is not going to hold up, and it has a significant - if it were to hold up, you tell me what were looking at in terms of future decisions being made by partisans, partisan judges, it tells somebody who should be on the ballot and who shouldnt."
Kasich then challenged Democrats to defeat Trump in a fair election rather than relying on the ruling to exclude him.
"Frankly, I know there are probably a lot of Democrats excited about this, but Ive got news for them, or some advice for them. Why dont you figure out how to beat Trump?" he proposed. "That would be a more important decision."
Kasich also suggested that the legal controversy surrounding the ruling could potentially strengthen Trump's position and validate his supporters.
"I can tell you what these Trumpers are gonna say, theyre gonna say, You see! The deep state, they wont even let him compete! They wont even let him get into the ballpark and be able to swing at a pitch. Thats what theyre gonna say, and hes gonna say it, hell say The deep state is at it again.'"
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