Former US President Donald Trump has appealed a ruling by Maine’s Secretary of State Shenna Bellows, barring him from the state’s primary ballot over his role in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the US Capitol, Associated Press reports.
Trump’s appeal challenges Bellows’ decision under Section 3 of the 14th Amendment, which prohibits those who swore an oath to “support” the Constitution and “engaged in insurrection” from holding office. This comes after a similar ban by the Colorado Supreme Court, marking the first time the provision was used to bar a presidential candidate.
However, Trump’s lawyers argue that the provision doesn’t apply to the president, since the presidential oath for office isn’t to “support” the Constitution but to “preserve, protect and defend” it.
