'Let the people decide': Internet split as Maine judge postpones Trump ballot decision pending Supreme Court verdict

AUGUSTA, MAINE: In a pivotal decision on Wednesday, January 17, a Maine judge instructed state election officials to await the US Supreme Court's ruling on former President Donald Trump's eligibility for the 2024 presidential ballot.

Trump sought to reverse a prior decision that had removed him from the Maine ballot, but the judge, Kennebec County Superior Court Judge Michaela Murphy, declined to take immediate action, opting to pause proceedings until the Supreme Court provides clarity.

Practically, this means that Trump's name will remain on the ballot for the Maine GOP primary scheduled for March 5, coinciding with Super Tuesday.

The Supreme Court is set to hear oral arguments in a similar case from Colorado early next month, making Maine and Colorado the only states thus far to disqualify Trump for his alleged role in the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot.

Legal landscape in Maine

Under Maine law, ballot challenges start with the secretary of state and can be appealed in state courts. In December, a group of voters filed a challenge, leading to Secretary of State Shenna Bellows ruling Trump ineligible for office.

Judge Michaela Murphy, appointed in 2007 by a Democratic governor and re-appointed in 2015 by then-Gov. Paul LePage, a vocal Republican and Trump supporter, issued the decision.

Trump and his GOP allies had attempted, unsuccessfully, to remove Bellows from the case, accusing her of bias and unfairly undermining the campaign. Bellows, a Democrat, defended her decision, emphasizing it was based solely on facts and the law, and she faced threats, including a swatting incident last month.

While Trump's critics have found success in Maine and Colorado, their efforts faced setbacks in key states like Minnesota, New Hampshire, Michigan, and Oregon, where lawsuits were dismissed on procedural grounds without addressing the core questions related to January 6.

The legal battle revolves around the 14th Amendment, ratified after the Civil War, which prohibits officials who engaged in insurrection from holding future office. However, the Constitution lacks clarity on how to enforce this ban, leading to an ongoing legal debate, per CNN.

Both Trump and the challengers urged Judge Murphy to halt any final ballot decisions in Maine until the Supreme Court ruling. Murphy acknowledged the rarity of such a request but deemed it appropriate under the circumstances.

In her decision, she wrote, "Because many of the issues presented in this case are likely to be resolved, narrowed, or rendered moot by the Supreme Court’s decision in (the Colorado case), the Court concludes that a remand is necessary." The case is now sent back to the secretary of state.

"While it is impossible to know what the Supreme Court will decide," Murphy expressed, "hopefully it will at least clarify what role, if any, state decision-makers, including secretaries of state and state judicial officers, play in adjudicating claims of disqualification brought under Section Three of the Fourteenth Amendment."

Social media reactions

The decision triggered a flurry of reactions on social media, with diverse opinions reflecting the polarized nature of the issue.

"What are they afraid of, put him on and let the people decide," one posted on X (formerly Twitter).

"Wowza, postponing decisions much? Imagine if life had a 'defer' button. Spoiler: It doesn't! Let's grab a coffee and vote instead," another wrote.

"When will red states remove all democrats from ballots?" a comment read.

"They don’t want civil unrest," someone else insisted.

"This is the only way to beat Trump. It also ends our republic," another speculated.

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.