'Democrats starting to sympathize': California leaves Trump on 2024 ballot despite calls to remove him

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Former President Donald Trump has successfully secured a spot on California's primary ballot, bolstering his chances for a rematch with President Joe Biden in the 2024 presidential election.

The inclusion of Trump's name was confirmed in the certified list of candidates released on Thursday, December 27, by California Secretary of State Shirley Weber.

Political pressure and rule of law

Weber, who faced political pressure to reject Trump's candidacy, notably from Lt Gov Eleni Kounalakis, a fellow Democrat, emphasized that she was guided by "the rule of law" in making her decision. Kounalakis had urged Weber to "explore every legal option" to remove Trump from the California ballot in a letter dated December 20.

Responding to the pressure, Weber indicated that the appropriate venue to address ballot challenges was the courts. California, with its 169 delegates, holds a significant sway in the 2024 presidential contest. The decision, which was due to allow county election officials time to prepare ballots, sets the stage for a competitive Republican primary in California.

Trump will face off against rivals such as Florida Gov Ron DeSantis, former New Jersey Gov Chris Christie, and former South Carolina governor and Trump's UN ambassador, Nikki Haley.

Despite Weber's decision, Trump still faces challenges in the deeply blue state, as evidenced by Biden's substantial victory over Trump by more than 5 million votes in California's 2020 general election.

The announcement from California came on the same day that Maine's Democratic Secretary of State, Shenna Bellows, removed Trump from the ballot using the Constitution's insurrection clause. Bellows' decision follows a similar move in Colorado earlier this month, where Trump was ousted from the ballot under Section 3 of the 14th Amendment.

Legal battles are unfolding across multiple states, with Michigan's Supreme Court recently supporting a decision allowing political parties to determine candidate eligibility for the primary. The situation in Maine awaits an appeal by the Trump campaign to the state courts, while the US Supreme Court is poised to decide whether Trump remains eligible to run.

Legal experts argue that these recent rulings underscore the need for the US Supreme Court to provide clear guidance on such matters.

Rick Hasen, a law professor at UCLA, highlighted the inevitability of inconsistent decisions until there is "final and decisive guidance" from the nation's highest court.

“It is clear that these decisions are going to keep popping up, and inconsistent decisions reached (like the many states keeping Trump on the ballot over challenges) until there is final and decisive guidance from the U.S. Supreme Court,” Hasen wrote in response to the Maine decision, as quoted by the Sacramento Bee.

Social media reactions

Amid these legal battles, social media has been flooded with reactions. Trump supporters celebrated the California ballot decision, taking to platforms to troll Democrats.

"Dems running scared?" one posted on X.

"Even California says Pump the Brakes. Must be even worse behind the scenes. My goodness, this observed as a show is quite entertaining," another wrote.

"Because that would give RFK a good shot at winning California, a state that would go blue even if Trump was on the ballot," someone else opined.

"It's pretty obvious what's going on. I think it's all getting a bit too obvious and they're pulling back some. Democrats are even starting to sympathize with Trump," a comment read.

"Not interfering in elections at all," another quipped sarcastically.

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