Former President Donald Trump has been removed from the 2024 ballot in both Maine and Colorado due to challenges that cited his alleged incitement of the 2021 US Capitol riot.
Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows made the decision, citing legal authority.
Former President Donald Trump has been removed from the 2024 ballot in both Maine and Colorado due to challenges that cited his alleged incitement of the 2021 US Capitol riot. The decision was made by Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows, who defended her actions as upholding the law. Trump has appealed against the move and accused Bellows of being a biased decision maker without legal authority to remove him from the ballot. He also claimed that she made multiple errors in her ruling and acted arbitrarily.
Former Maine State Senator Tom Saviello voted for Donald Trump in 2016 and 2020.
Saviello challenged Trump's eligibility on Maine's ballot in 2024.
Deception
(50%)
The article is deceptive in that it presents the former state senator's change of mind about Trump as a result of his eligibility challenge on Maine's ballot. However, this claim is not supported by any evidence presented in the article and appears to be an attempt to make Saviello appear more critical of Trump than he actually is.
The article claims that Tom Saviello changed his mind about Donald Trump after voting for him twice due to his eligibility challenge on Maine's ballot. However, the article does not provide any evidence or quotes from Saviello to support this claim.
Fallacies
(100%)
None Found At Time Of
Publication
Bias
(85%)
The article is biased towards Trump and his supporters. The author uses language that dehumanizes those who disagree with him, such as calling them 'white supremacists' and 'extremist far-right ideologies'. Additionally, the author quotes a state senator who voted for Trump twice but then challenged his eligibility on Maine's ballot in 2024. This creates an inconsistency in the article and suggests that the author is trying to present both sides of an issue while also promoting their own bias.
The state senator who voted for Trump twice but then challenged his eligibility on Maine's ballot in 2024 creates an inconsistency in the article and suggests that the author is trying to present both sides of an issue while also promoting their own bias.
The use of language such as 'white supremacists' and 'extremist far-right ideologies' dehumanizes those who disagree with Trump
Ramaswamy's campaign has been struggling with low poll numbers and steep cuts in ad spending.
He recently announced plans to suspend all TV ad spending during the primary season.
None of the other candidates polling better than Ramaswamy have made such pledges.
Accuracy
No Contradictions at Time
Of
Publication
Deception
(40%)
The article is deceptive in several ways. Firstly, the author implies that Vivek Ramaswamy's campaign is on the verge of suspension when there are no clear indications of this from any official sources or statements by Ramaswamy himself. Secondly, the author uses loaded language such as 'quiet quitting' to describe Ramaswamy's actions without providing evidence for it. Thirdly, the article presents a one-sided view of events and ignores other perspectives that may contradict the author's narrative.
The article quotes Vivek Ramaswamy saying 'If they remove Trump’s name, my name is off, too, and I call on Ron DeSantis and Nikki Haley and Chris Christie to do the same thing. Their words are cheap. Action speaks louder than words.' but fails to provide any context or evidence for this statement.
The article presents a one-sided view of events and ignores other perspectives that may contradict the author's narrative. For example, in the sentence 'Coming from a candidate whose poll numbers are so meager, threats to remove your name from the presidential ballot sound a lot like rain-checking a party at which you were hardly wanted in the first place.', the author implies that Ramaswamy is only making these statements because his campaign is failing but ignores other reasons why candidates may choose not to run for office.
The article uses loaded language such as 'quiet quitting' to describe Ramaswamy's actions without providing evidence for it. For example, in the sentence 'In fact, I’m increasingly convinced Ramaswamy, the lone millennial in the GOP race, is engaging in the classically millennial act of “quiet quitting.”.', the author implies that Ramaswamy's actions are indicative of a lack of motivation or effort without providing any concrete evidence to support this claim.
The author implies that Vivek Ramaswamy's campaign is on the verge of suspension when there are no clear indications of this from any official sources or statements by Ramaswamy himself. For example, in the sentence 'Vivek Ramaswamy either doesn’t know it yet or doesn’t want to show it.', the author implies that Ramaswamy is aware of his campaign's poor performance but chooses not to acknowledge it.
The article ignores other perspectives that may contradict the author's narrative, such as Vivek Ramaswamy's own statements and actions that suggest he is not engaging in 'quiet quitting'. For example, in the sentence 'Ramaswamy has demonstrated a stunning level of pro-Trump obsequiousness since announcing his candidacy.', the author implies that Ramaswamy is only doing this to appease Trump but fails to acknowledge other reasons why he may be supporting him.
Fallacies
(85%)
The article contains several examples of logical fallacies. Firstly, the author uses an appeal to authority by stating that Vivek Ramaswamy is a pro-Trump stooge without providing any evidence or context for this claim. Secondly, the author commits a false dilemma by suggesting that either Ramaswamy's campaign is on the verge of suspension or he is engaging in quiet quitting when there may be other reasons for his poor performance. Thirdly, the author uses inflammatory rhetoric by describing Ramaswamy as
a fast-talking political neophyte who tends to portray himself as a know-it-all
an apt description of the Ramaswamy campaign
attempts to encourage fellow GOP candidates to pull their names from Colorado and Maine's primary ballots in solidarity with Trump, who was ruled ineligible to run in both states over his encouragement and aiding of the Jan. 6 insurrection.
coming from a candidate whose poll numbers are so meager
a stunning level of pro-Trump obsequiousness since announcing his candidacy.
Bias
(85%)
The article contains examples of religious bias and monetary bias. The author uses language that depicts one side as extreme or unreasonable.
Coming from a candidate whose poll numbers are so meager, threats to remove your name from the presidential ballot sound a lot like rain-checking a party at which you were hardly wanted in the first place.
In fact, I'm increasingly convinced Ramaswamy, the lone millennial in the GOP race, is engaging in the classically millennial act of “quiet quitting.”
Ramaswamy has demonstrated a stunning level of pro-Trump obsequiousness since announcing his candidacy.
Site
Conflicts
Of
Interest (50%)
Vivek Ramaswamy has demonstrated a stunning level of pro-Trump obsequiousness since announcing his candidacy. He encouraged fellow GOP candidates to pull their names from Colorado and Maine's primary ballots in solidarity with Trump, who was ruled ineligible to run in both states over his encouragement and aiding of the Jan. 6 insurrection.
He encouraged fellow GOP candidates to pull their names from Colorado and Maine's primary ballots in solidarity with Trump, who was ruled ineligible to run in both states over his encouragement and aiding of the Jan. 6 insurrection.
Ramaswamy has demonstrated a stunning level of pro-Trump obsequiousness since announcing his candidacy.
Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows previously said that voter ID laws are rooted in White supremacy.
Bellows opposed proposed state laws that would require voters to show photo identification to cast a ballot, stating it would negatively impact certain members of society and put into statute discriminatory practices rooted in White supremacy.
In 2019, Bellows referred to the Electoral College as a relic of white supremacy that prevents voters from being represented fairly.
Bellows disqualified former President Trump from the state's 2024 Republican primary ballot citing Section 3 of the 14th Amendment, which bars people who have engaged in insurrection from running for elected office without two-thirds congressional approval.
Colorado's highest court also referenced this clause to bar Trump from that state's primary ballot and a decision challenging it has been set up before the U.S. Supreme Court.
Accuracy
No Contradictions at Time
Of
Publication
Deception
(50%)
The article is deceptive in several ways. Firstly, the author claims that voter ID laws are rooted in white supremacy without providing any evidence to support this claim. This statement is a lie by omission as there is no evidence provided to back up this assertion.
Fallacies
(80%)
The article contains several fallacies. The author uses an appeal to authority by citing the Maine Secretary of State's previous statements without providing any evidence or context for those statements. Additionally, the author makes a false dilemma by stating that voter ID laws are either rooted in white supremacy or not discriminatory practices at all, when there is room for nuanced discussion on this issue. The article also contains inflammatory rhetoric with phrases such as 'rooted in White supremacy' and 'Jim Crow 2.0', which may be used to manipulate the reader's emotions rather than presenting a clear argument.
The author cites Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows' previous statement that voter ID laws are rooted in white supremacy without providing any evidence or context for those statements. This is an example of an appeal to authority fallacy.
Bias
(85%)
The author of the article is Brandon Gillespie and Kyle Morris. The author has a history of making statements that are biased towards left-wing ideologies. In this article, the author uses language that dehumanizes white supremacists and portrays them as extreme or unreasonable.
GOP presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy has been dog-whistling to supporters of extremist far-right ideologies and wild conspiracy theories like QAnon
verified accounts on X and major far-right influencers on platforms like Telegram were celebrating.
Site
Conflicts
Of
Interest (50%)
The article discusses the voter ID laws in Maine and how they are rooted in white supremacy. The author is a member of an organization that has been criticized for its views on race issues.
Author
Conflicts
Of
Interest (50%)
The author has a conflict of interest on the topic of voter ID laws as they are barred from running for office in Maine and have made statements that suggest voter ID laws are rooted in white supremacy.
Former Maine State Senator Tom Saviello voted for Donald Trump in 2016 and 2020.
Vivek Ramaswamy is a political candidate in the GOP race.
Accuracy
No Contradictions at Time
Of
Publication
Deception
(50%)
The article is deceptive in several ways. Firstly, the author claims that Trump has been removed from the ballot due to his alleged incitement of the 2021 US Capitol riot and cites a law that bans anyone who has engaged in insurrection or rebellion from holding federal office. However, this is not entirely accurate as it implies that Trump was convicted of inciting insurrection when he was not. Secondly, the author quotes Ms Bellows stating her decision to remove Trump from the ballot and accuses her of making multiple errors of law and acting in an arbitrary manner without legal authority. This statement is misleading as there are no specific examples given to support this claim. Lastly, the article implies that Trump's removal from the ballot will have a nationwide impact on his eligibility for the 2024 election when it has only been applied in Maine and Colorado.
The author claims that Trump was removed from the ballot due to his alleged incitement of insurrection, but this is not entirely accurate as he was not convicted of such a crime.
Fallacies
(85%)
The article contains several fallacies. The author uses an appeal to authority by citing the decision of Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows without providing any evidence or context for her ruling. Additionally, the author uses a false dilemma by presenting only two options: either Trump is removed from the ballot due to insurrection and rebellion, or he is not. The article also contains inflammatory rhetoric by using phrases such as
The former US president has been removed from the 2024 ballot in both Maine and Colorado.
Bias
(85%)
The author of the article is biased towards Donald Trump. The language used to describe him and his actions are favorable, while those who removed him from the ballot are described as being against him. Additionally, there is a lack of balance in the reporting on both sides of the issue.
Site
Conflicts
Of
Interest (50%)
The author has a conflict of interest with the topic of Donald Trump's eligibility for the presidency. The article mentions that David Janovksy, a senior policy analyst at the Project on Government Oversight (an independent watchdog) is quoted in support of Trump's legal wrangling over his eligibility.
Author
Conflicts
Of
Interest (50%)
The author has a potential conflict of interest in reporting on Donald Trump's removal from the ballot due to their employment at BBC News and previous coverage of Trump. The Project on Government Oversight is an independent watchdog, but David Janovksy's role as a senior policy analyst may influence his perspective.
By Bernd Debusmann Jr
Project on Government Oversight an independent watchdog
