Democratic Strategist Applauds Supreme Court Decision to Hear Trump Appeal, Says Ex-President Should Be on Ballot

CNN political commentator Paul Begala welcomed the Supreme Court’s decision to hear former President Donald Trump’s appeal after he was banned from the presidential ballot in two states.

The Supreme Court announced on Friday it will hear arguments on whether Trump’s name can appear on primary-election ballots in Colorado and Maine after he was banned last month.

Citing Section 3 of the 14th Amendment, officials in those states ordered Trump’s name removed because that provision says those who have engaged in “insurrection” may not hold federal office.

The Colorado Supreme Court claimed Trump was ineligible to run on the state’s ballot because he incited an insurrection on Jan. 6th, 2021. Soon after in December the Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows ruled Trump would also be banned from the Maine primary ballot due to his actions at the Capitol attack.

In Colorado, the court stated that Trump met the criteria for insurrection because of his actions before and during the attack, including the speech he gave outside the White House to his supporters. However, the former president’s supporters have argued that Trump can not be found liable for insurrection since he has never been criminally charged by a prosecutor.

Begala reacted to the news on CNN noting that the former president should be allowed to run for office and that the best solution for the Democrats is to beat Trump at the ballot box.

Jake Tapper asked Begala whether President Joe Biden should call for Trump to be on the ballot until the Supreme Court makes a final decision:

I think in his heart of hearts, I hate to read Joe Biden’s heart, but he wants Trump on the ballot. He feels like I beat him once. I’ll beat him again. Um, but more than that, I think Scott is right. As a political matter, a politician. Trump is a political problem. He demands a political solution. He needs to be defeated again at the ballot box…It’s very tightly argued. I don’t care, I honestly think what’s best for the country is to have this election.

If the Republicans want Mr. Trump on the ballot, they should have Mr. Trump on the ballot. And I think that’s what’s going to happen. Poor court, though, Justice Chief Justice Roberts’ head must be exploding to have this comment you just played from Mr. Trump’s lawyer bragging that, well, Kavanaugh, you know, he’ll be for us because Trump helped him get his job. So the court is going to take a huge black eye for this.

As the Supreme Court prepares to make a ruling on whether Trump can appear on these primary ballots, he maintains a strong lead in the Republican primary and is the clear frontrunner, according to RealClearPolitics.

Watch the clip above via CNN.