Missouri Secretary of State shredded for threatening to ban Biden from ballot if Democrats remove Trump

JEFFERSON CITY, MISSOURI: Missouri's Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft has issued a warning to remove President Joe Biden from the election ballot at a time when other states are taking measures to disqualify former president Donald Trump from securing a second term based on his alleged involvement in the US Capitol riot on January 6, 2021.

Regarding Trump's potential appearance on the Republican primary ballots in Colorado, the US Supreme Court is expected to decide on whether to permit his candidacy, following the state Supreme Court's refusal to allow it due to the 14th Amendment's insurrection clause.

In this regard, the high court has supported a previous ruling from a lower court, which found Trump guilty of inciting his supporters as Congress was certifying Biden's 2020 election victory.

Furthermore, the Colorado Supreme Court's decision marks the first time in history that Section 3 of the 14th Amendment has been invoked to bar a presidential contender from the ballot, as per the New York Post.

Similarly, in Maine, Trump has been disqualified from the ballot, citing the same provision in the US Constitution, which the former president has consequently appealed.

What did Jay Ashcroft say on Friday about removing Biden from the Missouri ballot?

Missouri Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft wrote on X (formerly Twitter) on Friday, January 6, 2024, “What has happened in Colorado & Maine is disgraceful & undermines our republic. While I expect the Supreme Court to overturn this, if not, Secretaries of State will step in & ensure the new legal standard for @realDonaldTrump applies equally to @JoeBiden!”

Ashcroft made a post shortly after the Supreme Court decided to review a case involving Colorado's high court that found that Trump could be prevented from appearing on the state's primary ballot due to his actions leading up to the January 6, 2021 attack on the US Capitol.

The Republican disclosed to the St Louis Post-Dispatch on Saturday, “I’m not in favor of going down this path. But if we will go down this path, it’s inevitable, if the Supreme Court does not stop this.”

As Missouri's secretary of state, Ashcroft stated, "My job is to be the referee of the administration of elections, my job is not to put the thumb down on either side."

"The rules will be applied equally. I just hope they will not be the rules of Colorado and Maine," he added.

In an interview with NBC News, Ashworth revealed that his tweet on Friday was to "remind people of how severe this is."

"I’m 99% certain the Supreme Court will stop it, but if they don’t, chaos is ahead and we’ve got to avoid it," the Missouri Secretary of State shared with the outlet.

Ashcroft plans to file an amicus brief, in support of neither party, cautioning the Supreme Court of what he anticipates will occur if Colorado's disqualification of Trump is upheld.

"If Democrat states are saying we're not going to let these Republicans run, you bet you're going to see the same thing happening from Republican states. And it's not good," Ashcroft continued.

"If you're playing a basketball game and the other team doesn't have to dribble the ball, eventually you're going to say, 'Why am I worried about dribbling the ball?'" he asked.

When asked how he would look to exclude Biden from the Missouri ballot for insurrection, Ashcroft replied that the incumbent has "let an invasion unstopped into our country from the border."

The Missouri Republican went on to say that Vice President Kamala Harris "supported people that were rebelling against the US government during the riots in 2020," referring to racial justice rallies in the aftermath of George Floyd's murder.

"If this is the standard, does that suddenly mean she's not allowed to run? None of us can say, because there is no standard," he explained.

The Democratic Party's attempt to remove Trump from the 2024 presidential election ballots has come under heavy criticism from Republicans, who argue that such a move undermines the will of the American voters.

Recently, Texas Lt Governor Dan Patrick floated the idea of removing Biden's name from the ballot due to his perceived mishandling of the southern border.

Patrick said in an interview with Fox News, “Seeing what happened in Colorado tonight … makes me think — except we believe in democracy in Texas — maybe we should take Joe Biden off the ballot in Texas for allowing 8 million people to cross the border since he’s been president, disrupting our state far more than anything anyone else has done in recent history.”

A spokesperson for Kentucky Secretary of State Michael Adams stated in an email to NBC News, "Our Office is pleased that the US Supreme Court has taken up Donald Trump’s appeal from the Colorado Supreme Court and will ensure clarity and consistency for all Secretaries of State on this question."

The states of Colorado and Maine have retained Trump's name on their respective primary ballots despite ongoing legal challenges.

These primaries are scheduled for Super Tuesday, which falls on March 5, 2024.

It is worth noting that the case in Maine differs slightly from that in Colorado, as the Democratic Secretary of State of Maine, Shenna Bellows, ruled Trump ineligible for the ballot.

Notably, Ashcroft opined that Secretaries of State should generally avoid involvement in determining a candidate’s eligibility to be on the state ballot.

"I don't want to go there," Ashworth posited, adding, "I'm scared for what it means for our election."

Internet asks 'on what grounds' as Jay Ashcroft threatens to disqualify Joe Biden off Missouri ballot

People on X ridiculed Jay Ashworth's hollow threats of going after President Joe Biden if Donald Trump's disqualification from Colorado's ballot is upheld in the US Supreme Court.

One X user remarked, "Doing so with no legal basis would be a crime. He just wants attention."

Another user said, "Better have a law or court case to back that up. It’s not enough merely to be BUTTHURT."

Another user wrote, "Translation: I'm not going to even pretend I have a legal basis for kicking Biden off the ballot. But Republicans have long since abandoned any pretense of legality."

One user wrote, "I’m just spitballing here. But I’m thinking he’s going to have to have a legitimate reason, not just because he wants to. There’s a serious legal opinion backing Trump’s removal and they even stayed the order knowing it would go to SCOTUS. There’s an obvious seriousness."

"On what legal grounds?" another user asked.

Another user tweeted, "Missouri MAGA Secretary of State has chosen to go down with trump."

This article contains remarks made on the Internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online.