The former Republican Representative from Illinois, Adam Kinzinger, expressed his concerns on Friday about the potential implications of the decision to remove former President Donald Trump from the Maine ballot.
He warned that the move "opens a real Pandora's box."
The decision was made by Democratic Secretary of State Shenna Bellows, following three challenges related to Trump's appearance on the ballot. Bellows independently ruled that Trump incited an insurrection and violated Section 3 of the 14th Amendment, thereby disqualifying him from holding office.
In a conversation with CNN's Phil Mattingly, Kinzinger was asked for his interpretation of the recent events and their potential impact. He responded, "This is ultimately again, all of these cases, that's going to have to be adjudicated in the U.S. Supreme Court. We can debate what is the 14th Amendment, does it cover Donald Trump, does it not, there are really compelling cases on both sides, and the courts just have to make that decision."
Kinzinger expressed his discomfort with the idea of a secretary of state from an opposing party making the decision to exclude a presidential candidate from a ballot. He pointed out the precedent set by Colorado, where a similar case made it to the Supreme Court. He said, "But I don't like the idea of, you know, a secretary of state, frankly, from a different party making a decision to keep a presidential candidate off a ballot. That opens a real Pandora's box."
Despite his reservations, Kinzinger acknowledged that Bellows was performing her duty and had made the best decision she could under the circumstances. He emphasized that the ultimate decision on the interpretation of the 14th Amendment in this case would rest with the U.S. Supreme Court.
Bellows' decision was influenced by a similar ruling in Colorado, where the state's Supreme Court removed Trump from the ballot pending an appeal to the Supreme Court.
In a previous interview in October, Kinzinger had cautioned against removing Trump from the ballot, describing the idea as "very divisive." He stated, "Donald Trump has to be defeated at the ballot because that's the best way for this country to heal."
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