Republican presidential candidate and former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie criticized the recent decision to kick former President Trump off the Maine primary ballot under the 14th Amendment.

“[I]t makes him a martyr,” Christie said on CNN Friday. “You know, he’s very good at playing ‘Poor me, poor me,’ he’s always complaining. The poor billionaire from New York who’s spending everybody else’s money to pay his legal fees.”

On Thursday, Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows (D) said she had concluded the former president “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 to prevent certification of the 2020 election and the peaceful transfer of power.” Bellows’ decision made Maine the second state to take such an action, after the Colorado Supreme Court last week via a 4-3 ruling.

  • @Rapidcreek
    link
    7210 months ago

    Kicking Trump off the ballot is following the Constitution. Courts are supposed to decide without fear or favor. Christie doesn’t argue that Trump didn’t do it, but that he shouldn’t be held accountable for it.

    • @[email protected]
      link
      fedilink
      2710 months ago

      They fear the precedent set. If we don’t let criminals play now it means the criminals might get punished more. Christie is one of those criminals

      • @logicbomb
        link
        1010 months ago

        White collar criminals don’t really think that they’ll ever be held to account.

        I think Christie is just doing his version of what all other Republicans are doing. He wants to win, even if it means ignoring the Constitution.

        • @[email protected]
          link
          fedilink
          English
          210 months ago

          He’s smart enough to know he has no chance. Is he hoping for VP? Has he not realized Trump picks his associates based almost entirely on looks?

          Trump may have enough dysmorphia to think he looks good and has a full head of hair, but—with the possible exception of Ghouliani and Trumps juniors—he surrounds himself with people who look good. Thankfully they aren’t chosen on intelligence, or the country would be in even worse shape.

    • @Pacmanlives
      link
      310 months ago

      He has not been proven guilty of insurrection in the court of law yet. This is why these laws will get struck down sadly and be good PR for Trump. He will say something along the lines “see they don’t want me to run Biggly unfair and blame it on Biden.

      I don’t like it but we are treating him as guilty before a court judgement. Sucks but this is the court system in the US for better and worse

      • @Rapidcreek
        link
        110 months ago

        There are diverging legal views on whether Trump must actually be found guilty of the crime of “insurrection” before he can be deemed constitutionally ineligible to serve for having “engaged in” one. That’s one reason you need a decision from the Supreme Court.

      • @ChonkyOwlbear
        link
        010 months ago

        Elections are civil proceedings, not criminal proceedings. Eligibility is purely a civil matter. It’s not like he needs a criminal court to prove he is over 35 years old to be eligible, right?