The state of Maine has barred former President Donald Trump from its Republican presidential primary ballot, making it the second state to disqualify him due to his involvement in the January 2021 assault on the US Capitol.

Maine's Secretary of State, Shenna Bellows, issued a ruling stating that the events of January 6, 2021, "occurred at the behest of, and with the knowledge and support of, the outgoing President." She cited the US Constitution and Maine law as the basis for her decision, which was made in response to challenges filed by a few Maine voters.

This decision aligns with a similar ruling in Colorado, where the state supreme court found Trump ineligible for the presidency. Both states invoked the US Constitution's 14th Amendment, which prohibits individuals who have engaged in insurrection from holding office.

Secretary Bellows, a Democrat, emphasized the gravity of her decision, acknowledging that no Secretary of State had previously denied a presidential candidate ballot access based on the 14th Amendment. Trump's campaign criticized the ruling, calling it an "attempted theft of an election and the disenfranchisement of the American voter" and labeling Bellows as a "virulent leftist and a hyper-partisan Biden-supporting Democrat."

The campaign announced its intention to appeal the ruling. Several Republicans, including Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, came to Trump's defense, expressing concerns about the precedent set by the decision.

The Maine ruling comes as Trump remains a leading candidate for the Republican nomination to challenge President Joe Biden in the upcoming election. Biden has intensified his criticism of Trump, accusing him of supporting an insurrection and posing a significant threat to democracy.

Trump continues to assert, without evidence, that he won the 2020 election. He is facing legal challenges related to his efforts to overturn the election results and is scheduled to go on trial in Washington in March. Maine and Colorado are set to hold their nominating contests on March 5, also known as "Super Tuesday," when voters in over a dozen states, including California and Texas, will cast their votes.

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