Maine’s decision to remove former President Trump from primary ballot unlikely in Rhode Island

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WLNE) — Maine’s Democratic Secretary of State Shenna Bellows ruled Thursday night that former President Donald Trump should be removed from the state’s presidential primary ballot, doing so under the Constitution’s Insurrection Clause.

The clause is a Civil War provision in the constitution preventing anyone who “engaged in insurrection” from holding office. Trump critics have used the provision to challenge his eligibility to run for president again in a number of states, citing the Jan. 6 capitol riots.

Rhode Island Secretary of State Gregg Amore, a Democrat, said it’s unfair to ask the Secretary of State to make that decision but said the reality is Bellows had to make a decision based on the facts in front of her and Maine law.

“She is the arbiter of ballot placement questions, that is not the case in Rhode Island but she had to make a decision under Maine law and the unfair part about this in my view is your asking the Secretary of state to adjudicate a federal constitutional question and that belongs in the courts,” said Amore.

Amore said Bellows’ decision to remove Trump from the ballot is both surprising and unprecedented but in some ways, also expected. Amore added his office has received numerous inquiries asking if Rhode Island will do the same.

“Our answer has been the same, if the former president gathers enough signatures and qualifies in all other ways then according to Rhode Island law we’ll place him on the ballot unless the supreme court tells us not to,” explained Amore.

Rhode Island law requires 1000 signatures and constitutional qualification.

“Again Rhode Island secretary of state should not be defining what insurrection and rebellion is in a federal constitutional case and that’s what this is that’s what judicial review is meant for and I believe that’s where this case will end up,” Amore explained further.

A federal judge in Rhode Island previously dismissed a lawsuit challenging Trump’s right to be on the ballot in the state.

The process of preparing the presidential primary ballots in Rhode Island is underway and continues until Jan. 11.

Meanwhile, the supreme court is likely to make the decision on whether Trump is eligible to hold office again.