A push to keep former President Donald Trump's name off of the New Hampshire ballot if he becomes the GOP primary candidate has been quickly shot down by state leaders.
Gov. Chris Sununu, a Republican critical of Trump, has decided to stay out of the effort to block the former president's run in the state.
What Fox News doesn’t realize is that the argument that my case is not yet ripe will be mooted on November 6 when I file my Declaration of Candidacy to be on the New Hampshire primary ballot.https://t.co/GVK2PuOEbd
— 🇺🇸 John Anthony Castro (@realJohnACastro) August 31, 2023
"Bryant 'Corky' Messner, an attorney and prominent Republican who won the 2020 Republican Senate nomination thanks in great part to Trump's support, is mulling a lawsuit if Trump later this year files to put his name on the New Hampshire primary ballot," Fox News reported.
"Messner is very publicly questioning the former president's eligibility to run for the White House, and cites Section 3 of the 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. That section disqualifies those who’ve taken an oath to support the Constitution from holding office again if they’ve 'engaged in insurrection or rebellion' against the U.S. 'or given aid or comfort to the enemies thereof,'" it added.
Republican Bryant “Corky” Messner’s attempt to prohibit former President Trump from New Hampshire’s 2024 primary ballot is receiving a cold shoulder from the state’s top GOP leaders. https://t.co/Gs7Juk9y9S
— The Epoch Times (@EpochTimes) August 31, 2023
“The Governor first heard about this effort over the weekend. The Governor is not making any attempt or assisting any effort to keep anyone off the ballot,” Mr. Sununu’s spokesman said in a statement.
“He has not spoken to and has nothing to do with Mr. Messner’s actions … Providing he (Trump) follows the same rules as all other candidates, the Governor doesn’t expect ballot access will be a problem for the former president," the statement added.
The Associated Press covered my New Hampshire lawsuit against Trump!
Someone tell Chris Christie to just send me all of his campaign cash so i can finish the job.https://t.co/nRmiIUQFfp
— 🇺🇸 John Anthony Castro (@realJohnACastro) August 31, 2023
"The effort is likely to trigger a chain of lawsuits and appeals across several states that ultimately would lead to the U.S. Supreme Court, possibly in the midst of the 2024 primary season. The matter adds even more potential legal chaos to a nomination process already roiled by the front-runner facing four criminal trials," the Associated Press reported.
"Now Trump’s very ability to run could be litigated as Republicans are scheduled to start choosing their nominee, starting with the Iowa caucuses on Jan. 15," it added.
Any effort to block Trump from the ballot would certainly lead to a strong response from conservatives, leading to potential chaos ahead of the election.
In New Hampshire, the effort is still early, but it's clear that the move has not gained widespread support at this time.
Instead, Trump's bigger concern is dealing with the multiple indictments he continues to face ahead of the primaries that could cause problems for his 2024 comeback bid.
