Politics
Maine official appeals her removal of Trump from voting ballots to state's top court
The Secretary of State in Maine is appealing to the state’s top court in her case aiming to keep former President Donald Trump off the ballot.
Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows announced Friday an appeal to the state’s Supreme Judicial Court, asking for a ruling on her previous decision to remove Trump from the ballot.
“Like many Americans, I welcome a ruling from the U.S. Supreme Court in the Colorado case that provides guidance as to the important Fourteenth Amendment questions in this case,” Bellows said.
MAINE SUPERIOR COURT ISSUES A STAY ON STATE’S DECISION TO BAR TRUMP FROM PRIMARY BALLOT
Democrat Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows. (John Patriquin/Portland Press Herald via Getty Images)
Trump appealed Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows’ ruling earlier this month, but the court on Wednesday said it will not consider the matter until the high court issues its own decision in a related case out of Colorado, saying it would be “imprudent” for the court to rule on it before then.
But Bellows is asking Maine’s top court to preemptively rule on the legality of disqualifying the former president beforehand.
“In the interim, Maine law provides the opportunity to seek review from the Maine Supreme Judicial Court – which I requested today. I know both the constitutional and state authority questions are of grave concern to many,” Bellows said of her continued efforts.
MAINE RESIDENTS ‘OVERWHELMED’ AT PROSPECT OF BECOMING A ‘TRANSGENDER SAFE HAVEN,’ STATE LAWMAKER SAYS
She added, “This appeal ensures that Maine’s highest court has the opportunity to weigh in now, before ballots are counted, promoting trust in our free, safe and secure elections.”
In December, the Colorado Supreme Court disqualified Trump from appearing on the state’s ballots in 2024.
Former US President and Republican presidential hopeful Donald Trump applauds at a watch party during the 2024 Iowa Republican presidential caucuses in Des Moines, Iowa. (JIM WATSON/AFP via Getty Images)
The disqualification, which was made under the 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, is related to the Capitol riot on Jan. 6, 2021.
“We do not reach these conclusions lightly,” the court’s majority wrote. “We are mindful of the magnitude and weight of the questions now before us. We are likewise mindful of our solemn duty to apply the law, without fear or favor, and without being swayed by public reaction to the decisions that the law mandates we reach.”
Following Colorado’s decision, more than a dozen states have challenged Trump’s eligibility to appear on election ballots for the primary or general elections.
Fox News Digital’s Brooke Singman and Jamie Joseph contributed to this report.
By Eric Schmitt, Gilad Thaler, Nour Idriss, Stephanie Swart, June Kim, Paul Abowd and Zach Wood
April 25, 2026
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump were rushed out of the Washington Hilton ballroom Saturday night at the start of the White House Correspondents Dinner as shots rang out.
Trump was swiftly whisked away amid the chaos and reported that he and the first lady, and his Cabinet members are safe on Truth Social.
More than 40 years ago, the Washington Hilton was the site of the attempted assassination of President Ronald Reagan on March 30, 1981 — a striking historical parallel as Trump was rushed from the same hotel Saturday night after gunfire erupted. It remains unclear if Trump was targeted in the chaos on Saturday evening.
John Hinckley Jr. fired six shots at Reagan after he delivered remarks to members of the AFL-CIO. One of the bullets ricocheted off the presidential limousine and struck Reagan in the chest.
Secret Service agents pushed Reagan into a car and was quickly rushed to the George Washington University Hospital. He was famously known for being in good humor when he was about to undergo treatment.
TRUMP ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT: SECRET SERVICE KNEW AIRSPACE PROTECTION WOULD END WITH FORMER PRESIDENT ONSTAGE
Security officials react as a shooter opens fire during the annual White House Correspondents’ Association dinner in Washington, D.C., on April 25, 2026. (Jonathan Ernst/Reuters)
Three other people were also hit, including press secretary James Brady, a police officer and a Secret Service agent.
President Ronald Reagan waves to onlookers moments before an assassination attempt by John Hinckley Jr. on March 30, 1981, outside the Washington Hilton in Washington, D.C. James Brady is visible third from the left. (The White House/Getty Images)
Brady was shot in the eye and suffered brain damage. He ultimately died in 2014, and law enforcement officials ruled his death a homicide due to its connection to the 1981 shooting.
The hotel has since been dubbed by locals as the “Hinckley Hilton.”
First Lady Melania Trump and President Donald Trump attend the White House Correspondents’ dinner at the Washington Hilton in Washington, D.C., on April 25, 2026. This marks President Trump’s first attendance at the annual political press gala while in office. (Mandel Ngan/AFP)
Hinckley was acquitted of attempting to assassinate the president as a result of an insanity defense. His attorneys pointed to his narcissistic personality disorder and referenced his obsession with the movie “Taxi Driver” and actress Jodie Foster as the inspiration for the attack.
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President Trump returned to the White House and is set to deliver a statement in the White House Briefing Room.
WASHINGTON — President Trump was evacuated from the White House Correspondents’ Assn. dinner on Saturday evening after an incident led to a security response and reports that gunshots were fired.
A Times reporter attending the dinner was forced to shelter in a restroom. He said he heard about four to five gunshots around 8:30 p.m. Eastern time. He said security told him that the person may have had a firearm. It was unclear whether the person was dead or wounded.
Guests at the White House Correspondents’ Assn. dinner mingle while awaiting updates about a shooting during the event at the Washington Hilton Hotel on Saturday.
(Andrea Castillo / Los Angeles Times)
A presidential motorcade was spotted outside the Washington Hilton hotel at about 8:45 p.m., though Trump’s location is yet unknown.
At about the same time, an ambulance arrived on scene as about 100 event attendees were escorted out of the secured event. The bulk of the attendees are still inside the hotel.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
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