California Secretary of State Dr. Shirley Weber Declines to Remove Donald Trump from Presidential Primary Ballot Despite Calls from Lieutenant Governor Eleni Kounalakis

California Secretary of State Dr. Shirley Weber has declined to remove former President Donald Trump from the state’s presidential primary ballot, despite a call from the state’s Lieutenant Governor Eleni Kounalakis to do so. This decision follows the historic rulings of two other states, Colorado and Maine, which have both applied a rarely used constitutional ban against those who “engaged in insurrection” to Trump.

The Colorado court was the first to apply this ban to a presidential candidate, while Maine’s Secretary of State was the first top election official to unilaterally strike a presidential candidate from the ballot under this provision. Weber had previously stated that her decision would be guided by her office’s “commitment to and respect for the rule of law.”

Trump remains on the ballot in both Colorado and Maine, and his political fate is now in the hands of the U.S. Supreme Court. This decision increases pressure on the nation’s highest court to make a clear ruling on whether or not Trump can still run for president after the attack on the U.S. Capitol on January 6th, 2021.

The decision to include Trump on the ballot is a historic one, as it is the first time a state has declined to remove a presidential candidate from the ballot under Section Three of the Fourteenth Amendment. Weber’s office did not immediately issue a comment on her decision to include Trump after releasing the list of certified candidates on Thursday night.

The decision to include Trump on the ballot has been met with mixed reactions from the public. While some have applauded Weber for her commitment to the rule of law, others have expressed concern that Trump’s presence on the ballot could lead to further political unrest. It remains to be seen how the U.S. Supreme Court will rule on the matter, and what the implications of their decision will be.