Maine’s top election official has ruled that Donald Trump cannot run for president next year in the state, citing a constitutional insurrection clause.
Secretary of State Shenna Bellows said Mr Trump was not eligible because of his actions leading up to the US Capitol riot in 2021.
Maine now joins Colorado as the two states to ban Mr Trump from the ballot.
Both decisions are likely to face appeals in court.
The 34-page ruling says that Mr Trump must be removed from the ballot because he “engaged in insurrection or rebellion”.
In her order, Mrs Bellows says that Mr Trump “over the course of several months and culminating on January 6, 2021, used a false narrative of election fraud to inflame his supporters and direct them to the Capitol”.
She added that his “occasional requests that rioters be peaceful and support law enforcement do not immunize his actions”.
Trump Blocked From Maine Presidential Ballot In 2024
