Watch: GOP Official Panics When Asked for Reason to Remove Biden From Ballot
Missouri Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft completely melted down on Monday when he tried to explain why it would be justified to kick Joe Biden off his state’s primary ballot.The U.S. Supreme Court announced last week that it would decide whether Donald Trump should appear on state ballots. The former president has already been kicked off the ballot in Maine and Colorado. Ashcroft responded by threatening to remove Biden from the Missouri ballot if the Supreme Court doesn’t overturn the other states’ decisions.When CNN anchor Boris Sanchez asked Ashcroft what justification he would have for such a move, Ashcroft faltered.“There have been allegations that he’s engaged in insurrection,” Ashcroft said of Biden.When Sanchez pressed him to give more details, Ashcroft said he had “seen allegations from the lieutenant governor of Texas,” but then suddenly seemed incapable of stringing a sentence together.BORIS SANCHEZ: What would be your justification for removing Joe Biden from the ballot in Missouri?JAY ASHCROFT: There have been allegations that he's engaged in insurrectionSANCHEZ: How so?ASHCROFT: Um, I've seen allegations from the lieutenant governor of Texas pic.twitter.com/687uqKyCUw— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) January 8, 2024Earlier in the interview, Sanchez asked why Ashcroft felt he had the authority to remove Biden from the ballot. The Missouri state Constitution says that the secretary of state cannot unilaterally disqualify a candidate and would need to challenge a candidate’s eligibility in court. Ashcroft accused Sanchez of lying.Ashcroft’s main argument seems to be that Trump shouldn’t be disqualified from a state ballot because he has not yet been convicted of insurrection, only accused of it. Ashcroft also said that states should not be able to disqualify candidates from the ballot, failing to see the irony of his threat to do just that to Biden.A major difference, though, is that Trump has been indicted twice, once at the federal level and again at the state level, for trying to overturn the 2020 election. And all of the evidence that has been reported so far seems pretty damning.Trump was disqualified last month from the primary ballots in Colorado and Maine, after the Colorado Supreme Court and Maine secretary of state determined that he had engaged in insurrection and was therefore constitutionally ineligible to run for president.Shortly after the Colorado ruling, Texas Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick (whom Ashcroft referred to in Monday’s disastrous interview) threatened to kick Biden off the Lone Star State’s ballot in retribution.
Missouri Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft completely melted down on Monday when he tried to explain why it would be justified to kick Joe Biden off his state’s primary ballot.
The U.S. Supreme Court announced last week that it would decide whether Donald Trump should appear on state ballots. The former president has already been kicked off the ballot in Maine and Colorado. Ashcroft responded by threatening to remove Biden from the Missouri ballot if the Supreme Court doesn’t overturn the other states’ decisions.
When CNN anchor Boris Sanchez asked Ashcroft what justification he would have for such a move, Ashcroft faltered.
“There have been allegations that he’s engaged in insurrection,” Ashcroft said of Biden.
When Sanchez pressed him to give more details, Ashcroft said he had “seen allegations from the lieutenant governor of Texas,” but then suddenly seemed incapable of stringing a sentence together.
BORIS SANCHEZ: What would be your justification for removing Joe Biden from the ballot in Missouri?
JAY ASHCROFT: There have been allegations that he's engaged in insurrection
SANCHEZ: How so?
ASHCROFT: Um, I've seen allegations from the lieutenant governor of Texas pic.twitter.com/687uqKyCUw— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) January 8, 2024
Earlier in the interview, Sanchez asked why Ashcroft felt he had the authority to remove Biden from the ballot. The Missouri state Constitution says that the secretary of state cannot unilaterally disqualify a candidate and would need to challenge a candidate’s eligibility in court. Ashcroft accused Sanchez of lying.
Ashcroft’s main argument seems to be that Trump shouldn’t be disqualified from a state ballot because he has not yet been convicted of insurrection, only accused of it. Ashcroft also said that states should not be able to disqualify candidates from the ballot, failing to see the irony of his threat to do just that to Biden.
A major difference, though, is that Trump has been indicted twice, once at the federal level and again at the state level, for trying to overturn the 2020 election. And all of the evidence that has been reported so far seems pretty damning.
Trump was disqualified last month from the primary ballots in Colorado and Maine, after the Colorado Supreme Court and Maine secretary of state determined that he had engaged in insurrection and was therefore constitutionally ineligible to run for president.
Shortly after the Colorado ruling, Texas Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick (whom Ashcroft referred to in Monday’s disastrous interview) threatened to kick Biden off the Lone Star State’s ballot in retribution.
