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Iowa secretary of state introduces bill that could limit 14th Amendment ballot challenges against Trump

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Iowa secretary of state introduces bill that could limit 14th Amendment ballot challenges against Trump

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Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate introduced a bill that reportedly could limit challenges to former President Trump’s eligibility for the 2024 ballot.

The legislative proposal comes amid efforts in several states to challenge Trump’s eligibility under Section 3 of the U.S. Constitution’s 14th Amendment, which prevents individuals from holding office again if they “have engaged in insurrection or rebellion” against the United States.

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“The Iowa Secretary of State’s Office accepts the recognized political parties’ certifications of their candidates for president and vice president in good faith. This is a technical bill that clarifies which objections the objection panel has jurisdiction to consider but does not prevent anyone from taking legal action or pursuing challenges in court,” Ashley Hunt, a spokesperson for Pate’s office, said in a statement to Fox News Digital on Thursday.

Asked directly if the bill could limit challenges to Trump’s eligibility under the 14th Amendment, Hunt said the bill would not bar lawsuits in court that aim to block candidates from the ballot. Rather, the bill places restrictions on Iowans who object to the eligibility of presidential and vice presidential candidates through petitioning the state commissioner of elections. 

“This bill does not limit someone’s ability from taking legal action or pursuing challenges in court. It simply clarifies the process for the objection panel,” Hunt wrote.

According to the pre-filed bill’s text, which has been visible on the Iowa state legislature’s website since Jan. 18, Pate’s proposal seeks to limit the grounds for challenging all federal candidates, including those running for president and Congress, to questions about age, residency, citizenship and whether their nominating papers meet all the legal requirements.

HAWAII DEMOCRAT INTRODUCES BILL TO BAN TRUMP FROM BALLOT

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In Iowa, political parties must submit a certificate with the names of their presidential and vice presidential candidates to the secretary of state’s office 81 days before the general election.

“The bill limits objections to the eligibility of a candidate for a federal office that may be filled with the state commissioner of elections to objections to the legal sufficiency of the nomination petition or certificate of election, or to the residency, age, or citizenship requirements as described in the Constitution of the United States,” according to the proposal text. “With respect to nominations for president or vice president of the United States, the bill allows objections only to the legal sufficiency of the certification of nomination. The certificate of nomination shall be presumed valid.” 

The bill also removes the requirement for federal candidates to sign a statement that they are aware they are disqualified from holding office if convicted of a felony. Under current state law, all candidates running for office – local, state and federal – must do so. Currently, Trump is facing 91 felony charges spanning four criminal cases.

Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate (Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

“It would pretty clearly foreclose any challenge to a presidential candidate for being not qualified under the United States Constitution,” Derek Muller, an election law professor at the University of Notre Dame Law School, told the Des Moines Register of the proposal. “So, it would be designed to foreclose a challenge like those filed in Colorado in Maine.”

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Hunt told the Register that current law presumes the paperwork candidates file to run for office is valid and provides limitations to what issues are eligible for objection.

The new bill, she explained, would further clarify Iowa’s process for objections.

“This simply extends that same standard to all candidates explicitly,” Hunt told the newspaper.

Former President Trump attends a watch party during the Iowa Republican presidential caucuses in Des Moines on Jan. 15, 2024. (Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images)

“To the best of our knowledge, in 2015, Mr. Trump met the Constitutional requirements to be president and continues to do so,” Hunt said. “Mr. Trump has not been convicted of anything that disqualifies him to be president. This bill simply helps clarify the objection process for Iowa.”

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MAINE OFFICIAL APPEALS HER REMOVAL OF TRUMP FROM VOTING BALLOTS TO STATE’S TOP COURT

“The U.S. Constitution sets eligibility requirements for Congress and POTUS,” Hunt added. “This update ensures affidavits comply with those requirements.”

Trump swept the Iowa caucuses and then won the New Hampshire primaries this month as the presidential nominating contest turns its focus on the South Carolina primary next month.

Former President Trump acknowledges supporters during his caucus night event, Jan. 15, 2024, in Des Moines, Iowa. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

The Colorado Supreme Court, in a split decision, and Maine’s Democrat secretary of state, Shenna Bellows, cited the 14th Amendment in barring Trump from the ballot in their respective states for allegedly inciting the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol. More recently, a Hawaii Democrat senator introduced a bill that also aimed to block candidates, citing the insurrection clause.

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The timelines are tight as Super Tuesday approaches on March 5. The U.S. Supreme Court is hearing arguments in the Colorado case on Feb. 8, which likely means there would not be enough time to meet statutory deadlines for Bellows to reissue a ruling on Trump’s ballot status and for additional appeals to be filed before Election Day.

Lawsuits in Minnesota, Michigan, Arizona and Oregon aiming to block Trump from the 2024 ballot have already been dismissed on procedural grounds, Newsweek reported.

The Illinois State Board of Elections is also reportedly weighing a challenge to Trump’s eligibility.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Kansas

Kansas City man sentenced for cocaine trafficking, possession of illegal firearm

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Kansas City man sentenced for cocaine trafficking, possession of illegal firearm


KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV) – A Kansas City man was sentenced in federal court for his role in a drug trafficking conspiracy and possession of an illegal firearm.

According to the United States District Court for the Western District of Missouri, 22-year-old Antoine R. Gillum was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison without parole.

His sentencing stems from a June 2024 incident in a metro gas station. KCPD investigators contacted Gillum inside and found that he had discarded a 9 mm pistol in an aisle between the merchandise. He also discarded a pill bottle containing multiple illegal substances: cocaine base, oxycodone/acetaminophen and oxycodone.

Officers searched the vehicle Gillum had arrived in and found approximately 32 grams of cocaine base.

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On May 6, 2025, Gillum pleaded guilty to one count each of possession with intent to distribute cocaine and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.

This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica Jennings. It’s a part of ‘Operation Take Back America,’ a nationwide Department of Justice initiative to eliminate cartels and transnational criminal organizations.

No further information has been released.



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Michigan

2 Smoothie King employees fired for refusing to serve customer in Trump hoodie

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2 Smoothie King employees fired for refusing to serve customer in Trump hoodie


Two employees who refused to serve a man and his wife because he was wearing a hoodie with President Trump’s name on it were fired after a video of the heated encounter went viral.

Erika Lindemyer and her husband, Jake, were forced out of a Smoothie King franchise location in Ann Arbor, Michigan, following a fiery clash with two young female workers on Sunday.

Jake and Erika Lindemyer were denied service at a Smoothie King location in Michigan on Sunday. Leftism/X

The employees claimed they didn’t “feel comfortable” serving the couple because of Jake’s pro-Trump hoodie, as captured by Erika in a viral video.

Jake and Erika fired back at the pair and insisted that they were being “discriminated” against based on their “political views.”

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Both of the employees told them to leave. Leftism/X

“We were just wanting a smoothie and you literally looked at us and I asked you if everything was OK and you said ‘We don’t feel comfortable serving you’ because of my husband’s hoodie. That is discrimination,” Erika spat.

“Okay, well, have a great day,” the first employee said.

“That is illegal,” Erika tried to insist again.

“I said Trump discriminates [against] us,” another employee chimed in.

“Okay, well that has nothing to do with us getting a smoothie!” Erika guffawed.

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Erika and Jake claimed they were being discriminated against. Leftism/X

“OK, well that’s who you support though, that’s who you love,” the first employee chided.

“What’s embarrassing is that we’re American citizens and I wanted to get a smoothie,” Erika huffed.

The second employee noted that they “have a right to refuse service” and directed the couple to the exit.

“You asked a question and [the other employee] gave you an answer. Have a great day. Have a great day. The door’s right there,” the second worker said.

The employees said they were “uncomfortable” serving the couple because Jake was wearing a piece of
Trump merchandise. Leftism/X

Erika threatened to call the police while storming out, but it’s unclear if she did.

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In a separate video shared Monday, one of the workers joked that she might’ve “accidentally started a race war” and called on the public to help remove Erika’s video.

“I am a minor and she recorded me without my permission. The people in the comments are all white and they’re all being hella racist, guys, please help me get this video taken down,” she implored.

Smoothie King confirmed that the girls involved in the viral confrontation “are no longer with the business” as of Monday.

The girl posted her own video joking she might’ve “accidentally started a race war.” Leftism/X

“As a brand, Smoothie King is committed to ensuring our stores are a place free of discrimination of any kind, where every guest and team member is treated with care and respect,” the company wrote on X.

The owner of the Ann Arbor franchise location will also enforce “mandatory retraining for all employees that outlines our guest experience standards.”

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In early December, a woman who worked at a Target in California was berated by a customer for wearing a Charlie Kirk “Freedom” T-shirt.

When the employee insisted she was allowed to wear the red shirt, the irate customer accused her of supporting “a racist.”

The medical center where the agitated customer worked was bombarded with upwards of 6,000 “profanity-laced” phone calls after online sleuths doxxed her personal information.





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Minnesota

Minnesota sues to block Trump administration’s withholding of Medicaid funds

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Minnesota sues to block Trump administration’s withholding of Medicaid funds


Minnesota on Monday sued President Donald Trump’s administration in an attempt to stop it from withholding $243 million in Medicaid spending, warning it may have to cut health care for low-income families if the funding is held back.

The lawsuit asked a U.S. court in Minneapolis to issue a temporary restraining order to block the withholding for Medicaid, which is the health care safety net for low-income Americans.

The move came after Vice President JD Vance said last week the administration would “temporarily halt” some Medicaid funding to Minnesota over fraud concerns, as part of what he described as an aggressive crackdown on misuse of public funds.

Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison said his office has a strong track record of fighting Medicaid fraud and has won more than 300 convictions and $80 million in judgments and restitutions during his time in office.

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“Trump’s attempts to look like he’s fighting fraud only punish the people and families who most need the high-quality, affordable healthcare that all Minnesotans deserve,” Ellison said in a statement. “As long as I am attorney general, I will do everything in my power to defend our tax dollars, both from fraudsters and from the Trump administration’s cruelty.”

The lawsuit names the Department of Health and Human Services and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services as well as Dr. Mehmet Oz, in his official capacity as CMS administrator, and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. in his official capacity as HHS secretary.

The Department of Health and Human Services, which includes CMS, didn’t immediately return messages seeking comment late Monday.

The threatened cuts amount to roughly 7% of Minnesota’s quarterly Medicaid funding, Ellison’s office said in a news release. Minnesota could be required to significantly cut health care services for low-income families or other government services if the cuts take effect, it said.

Medicaid, which is known as Medical Assistance in Minnesota, provides health insurance to 1.2 million Minnesotans who would otherwise be unable to afford it. A family of four may qualify for Medical Assistance with an income at or under $42,759, the attorney general’s office said.

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The lawsuit said the administration violated due process procedures because it was taking hundreds of millions of dollars without proving Minnesota’s noncompliance with Medicaid regulations through discovery and an evidentiary hearing.

It alleged the administration failed to provide Minnesota with details about its decision, in violation of federal law. It cited legal precedents, including one that said Congress may impose conditions on states’ acceptance of federal funds, but “’the conditions must be set out unambiguously.’”

Minnesota’s complaint further charged the administration violated the Constitution because the withholding imposed retroactive conditions on Minnesota’s Medicaid funding.

It said withholding the funds was arbitrary, capricious and part of a pattern of political punishment of Minnesota.

The administration said it would hold off on paying $259.5 million to Minnesota for Medicaid spending in the fourth quarter of 2025. Minnesota’s lawsuit challenges the withholding of $243 million of this money.

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