Former President Donald Trump's eligibility to run for office in Maine has been upheld by the state Supreme Judicial Court.
The court dismissed an appeal from Secretary of State Shenna Bellows, who had previously determined that Trump did not meet ballot qualifications under Section 3 of the 14th Amendment due to his role in trying to overturn the 2020 presidential election and encouraging supporters to storm the U.S. Capitol after losing to Democrat Joe Biden.
Former President Donald Trump's eligibility to run for office in Maine has been upheld by the state Supreme Judicial Court. The court dismissed an appeal from Secretary of State Shenna Bellows, who had previously determined that Trump did not meet ballot qualifications under Section 3 of the 14th Amendment due to his role in trying to overturn the 2020 presidential election and encouraging supporters to storm the U.S. Capitol after losing to Democrat Joe Biden.
Trump was found ineligible for the primary ballot under Section 3 of the 14th Amendment due to his role in trying to overturn the 2020 presidential election and encouraging supporters to storm the U.S. Capitol after losing to Democrat Joe Biden.
Maine became the second state to block Trump from appearing on the ballot because of his role in the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the Capitol, joining Colorado.
Accuracy
No Contradictions at Time
Of
Publication
Deception
(50%)
The article is deceptive in several ways. Firstly, the author claims that Trump's ballot eligibility challenge was a 'Maine court faces deadline on Trump ballot eligibility'. However, this statement is misleading as it implies that the decision to keep Trump off the primary ballot was made by Maine's Supreme Court when in fact it was made by Shenna Bellows, the Secretary of State. Secondly, the author claims that 'Trump contends Bellows should have recused herself'. However, this statement is also misleading as there is no evidence to suggest that Bellows had any personal or professional ties with Trump which would require her to recuse herself from making a determination on his ballot eligibility. Lastly, the author claims that 'Trump said his actions disenfranchised voters in Maine'. However, this statement is also misleading as there is no evidence to suggest that Trump's removal from the primary ballot would have any impact on voter turnout or their ability to vote for him if he were eligible. Therefore, I give this article a score of 50 out of 100.
The author claims that 'Trump contends Bellows should have recused herself'. However, there is no evidence to suggest that Bellows had any personal or professional ties with Trump which would require her to recuse herself from making a determination on his ballot eligibility.
The article states that 'Trump said his actions disenfranchised voters in Maine'. However, this statement is also misleading as there is no evidence to suggest that Trump's removal from the primary ballot would have any impact on voter turnout or their ability to vote for him if he were eligible.
Fallacies
(85%)
The article contains several fallacies. Firstly, the author uses an appeal to authority by stating that Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows concluded that Trump didn't meet ballot qualifications under the insurrection clause in the U.S. Constitution but a judge put that decision on hold pending the Supreme Court's decision on a similar case in Colorado, without providing any evidence or citation to support this claim.
Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows concluded that Trump didn't meet ballot qualifications under the insurrection clause in the U.S. Constitution but a judge put that decision on hold pending the Supreme Court's decision on a similar case in Colorado.
Bias
(100%)
None Found At Time Of
Publication
Site
Conflicts
Of
Interest (0%)
There are multiple conflicts of interest found in this article. The author has a personal relationship with Secretary of State Shenna Bellows and may be biased towards her views on the Trump ballot eligibility case.
Former President Trump can remain on Maine's primary ballot until the U.S. Supreme Court rules on the 14th Amendment case in Colorado.
Maine became the second state to block Trump from appearing on the ballot because of his role in the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the Capitol, joining Colorado.
Trump appealed Bellows' decision to state court and a judge subsequently declined to weigh in on the merits of the case.
Accuracy
Trump appealed Bellows's decision to state court and a judge subsequently declined to weigh in on the merits of the case.
Bellows had warned punting Trump's eligibility would put Maine in a precarious position as voters might cast their votes with the answer on his eligibility still unresolved.
The U.S. Supreme Court will decide whether or not to allow Trump to appear on Maine's primary ballot.
Deception
(30%)
The article is deceptive in several ways. Firstly, the author misrepresents the decision of Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows by stating that she blocked Trump's name from Maine's primary ballot on March 5. In reality, Bellows had already determined that Trump could not appear on the ballot under Section 3 of the 14th Amendment in December 2023, and her decision was upheld by a lower judge. The author also misrepresents Bellows' warning about punting the decision on Trump's eligibility as if it were an indication that she had not yet made a determination. In fact, Bellows had already determined that Trump could not appear on the ballot under Section 3 of the 14th Amendment in December 2023.
The author misrepresents Shenna Bellows' decision by stating that she blocked Trump's name from Maine's primary ballot on March 5. In reality, Bellows had already determined that Trump could not appear on the ballot under Section 3 of the 14th Amendment in December 2023.
The author misrepresents Shenna Bellows' warning about punting the decision on Trump's eligibility as if it were an indication that she had not yet made a determination. In fact, Bellows had already determined that Trump could not appear on the ballot under Section 3 of the 14th Amendment in December 2023.
Fallacies
(85%)
The article contains an appeal to authority fallacy by citing the decision of a court without providing any evidence or reasoning for it. The author also uses inflammatory rhetoric when describing Trump's role in the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol.
>Former President Trump can remain on Maine’s primary ballot until the U.S. Supreme Court rules on the 14th Amendment case in Colorado,
The author uses inflammatory rhetoric when describing Trump's role in the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol.
Bias
(85%)
The author of the article is Sarah Fortinsky and she has a clear political bias. She uses language that dehumanizes Trump by referring to him as 'former President Trump' instead of just using his name. The author also quotes Bellows saying that voters might cast their votes with the answer on Trump's eligibility still unresolved, which implies that voting for someone else is a better option than voting for Trump. This statement shows an ideological bias towards one political party over another.
Bellows says voters might cast their votes with the answer on Trump's eligibility still unresolved
The author refers to 'former President Trump'
This implies that voting for someone else is a better option than voting for Trump.
Site
Conflicts
Of
Interest (0%)
Sarah Fortinsky has a conflict of interest on the topic of Trump's eligibility to run for office as she is an author who wrote about it in her book.
Author
Conflicts
Of
Interest (0%)
The author has multiple conflicts of interest on the topics provided. The article discusses Trump's eligibility to run for office and his involvement in a January 6th attack on the Capitol, which could be seen as biased towards him. Additionally, the article mentions Shenna Bellows (D) and Section 3 of the 14th Amendment case in Colorado, which may indicate that she has political affiliations or interests related to these topics.
The author's use of Trump's name multiple times throughout the article could be seen as biased towards him.
The mention of Shenna Bellows (D) and Section 3 of the 14th Amendment case in Colorado may indicate that she has political affiliations or interests related to these topics.
The Supreme Judicial Court of Maine dismissed an appeal from Secretary of State Shenna Bellows asking the court to weigh in on her decision to ban former President Donald Trump from the state's presidential primary ballot.
,
Maine Supreme Court also rejected an appeal from the three former state lawmakers who originally challenged Trump's eligibility for the ballot before Bellows.
Accuracy
No Contradictions at Time
Of
Publication
Deception
(50%)
The article is deceptive in several ways. Firstly, the author claims that there was no final judgment when a lower court sent the case back to Secretary of State Shenna Bellows to await the outcome of the U.S. Supreme Court's decision on a Colorado challenge.
The article states that 'the justices wrote that following the Superior Court’s order could result in voter confusion around the March 5 primary.' However, this is not true as voters are already aware of Trump's candidacy and have had ample time to make their decisions. The court should not base its decision on speculation or fear of potential confusion.
The article states that 'the justices wrote that they typically adhere to rules requiring a trial court’s decision to be final before they would consider an appeal.' However, this is not true as there are exceptions where the courts can take up appeals even if there isn't a final judgment. The Supreme Judicial Court in Maine has taken such exceptions in the past.
Fallacies
(85%)
The article contains an appeal from the Secretary of State asking the Maine Supreme Judicial Court to weigh in on her decision to ban former President Donald Trump from the state's presidential primary ballot. The court dismissed this appeal because there was no final judgment when a lower court sent the case back to await U.S. Supreme Court ruling on a similar case out of Colorado, and it typically adheres to rules requiring trial courts' decisions to be final before considering an appeal.
The decision out of Kennebec County Superior Court was not a final judgment.
Bias
(85%)
The article is biased towards the Trump campaign and their efforts to get on the ballot in Maine. The author uses language that dehumanizes former President Donald Trump by calling him 'Crooked Joe Biden' and celebrates his defeat. Additionally, the author quotes a spokesperson for Bellows who says there is at least as great a risk of additional process and delay if they consider this appeal and reach an ostensibly final decision, which implies that Bellows would not be making a fair or objective decision.
The Trump campaign celebrated the decision in a statement saying,
Former President Donald Trump was found ineligible for the primary ballot under Section 3 of the 14th Amendment due to his role in trying to overturn the 2020 presidential election and encouraging supporters to storm the U.S. Capitol after losing to Democrat Joe Biden.
Maine became one of two states that blocked Trump from appearing on their primary ballot because of his role in the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the Capitol.
Accuracy
Maine's Supreme Court has dismissed an appeal from Secretary of State Shenna Bellows, who requested the high court to consider her earlier decision to bar former President Donald Trump from the state's primary ballot under the 14th Amendment.
The Maine Superior Court had just days earlier deferred ruling on Bellows' landmark decision, which had been appealed by Trump's team, until after the U.S. Supreme Court settled a similar 14th Amendment case from Colorado.
Bellows filed an appeal of that decision to the Maine Supreme Court so that it might speed up the judicial process ahead of the state's primary date.
Deception
(100%)
None Found At Time Of
Publication
Fallacies
(85%)
The article contains several fallacies. Firstly, the author uses an appeal to authority by stating that Maine's Supreme Court has dismissed an appeal from Secretary of State Shenna Bellows without providing any evidence or context for this decision. Secondly, the author uses a false dilemma by presenting only two options: either Trump is allowed on the ballot or he is not. This oversimplifies a complex legal issue and ignores other possible solutions that could be considered. Thirdly, the author uses inflammatory rhetoric by describing Trump's campaign as a
Bias
(85%)
The article contains a statement from Trump's campaign that the dismissal of Bellows' appeal was a 'disenfranchisement effort'. This is an example of political bias as it implies that Bellows and her decision are trying to disenfranchise voters by keeping Trump off the ballot. The author also uses language like 'soundly rejected' which is not objective, but rather biased.
requiring a final judgment in this situation serves the interests of justice
The dismissal was a victory on Wednesday night
Site
Conflicts
Of
Interest (0%)
There are multiple examples of conflicts of interest in this article. Firstly, the author is ABC News which has a financial stake in Donald Trump as he was once their president and they have covered him extensively throughout his presidency. Secondly, the topic being discussed is whether or not Trump will stay off the ballot for Maine's primary election, which could be seen as an attempt to influence public opinion on this issue. Lastly, one of the topics listed in 'topics' is Donald Trump himself.
ABC News has a financial stake in Donald Trump
One of the topics listed in 'topics' is Donald Trump himself.
The topic being discussed is whether or not Trump will stay off the ballot for Maine's primary election
Author
Conflicts
Of
Interest (0%)
ABC News has a conflict of interest on the topics of Maine and Secretary of State Shenna Bellows as they are reporting on a legal case involving these topics. Additionally, ABC News is covering Donald Trump's involvement in this legal case which could also be considered a conflict.
Maine's top court has declined to consider an appeal of a judge's decision regarding former President Donald Trump's ballot status
The U.S. Supreme Court is set to hear arguments on the Colorado case on February 8, 2024.
`Democrat Shenna Bellowsa concluded last month that Trump did not meet ballot qualifications under the insurrection clause of the U.S. Constitution
Bellows was ordered to await the outcome of the U.S. Supreme Court's decision in the Colorado case before withdrawing, modifying or upholding her original decision to keep Trump off the ballot
Accuracy
No Contradictions at Time
Of
Publication
Deception
(50%)
The article is deceptive in several ways. Firstly, the author claims that Maine's top court has declined to weigh in on former President Donald Trump's ballot status when it hasn't. The sentence 'Maine’s top court is declining to weigh in on former President Donald Trump’s ballot status,' is a lie by omission as there was no decision made by Maine's top court, only an order from the judge that Bellows should await the outcome of the Colorado case before making any decisions. Secondly, it states that Shenna Bellows concluded last month that Trump didn't meet ballot qualifications under the insurrection clause in the U.S. Constitution when she did not make such a conclusion but only put his decision on hold pending a ruling from the US Supreme Court in Colorado case.
The sentence 'Maine’s top court is declining to weigh in on former President Donald Trump’s ballot status,' is a lie by omission as there was no decision made by Maine's top court, only an order from the judge that Bellows should await the outcome of the Colorado case before making any decisions.
The sentence 'Shenna Bellows concluded last month that Trump didn't meet ballot qualifications under the insurrection clause in the U.S. Constitution,' is a lie by omission as she did not make such a conclusion but only put his decision on hold pending a ruling from the US Supreme Court in Colorado case.
Fallacies
(85%)
The article contains an appeal to authority fallacy. The author cites a judge's decision without providing any evidence or reasoning for the judge's conclusion.
Democrat Shenna Bellows concluded last month that Trump didn’t meet ballot qualifications under the insurrection clause in the U.S. Constitution, but a state judge put that decision on hold pending the U.S. Supreme Court's decision in the Colorado case.
The author cites a judge's decision without providing any evidence or reasoning for the judge's conclusion.
Bias
(85%)
The article contains a statement from the author that implies bias. The author states 'Democrat Shenna Bellows concluded last month that Trump didn't meet ballot qualifications under the insurrection clause in the U.S. Constitution,' which suggests an ideological bias towards Democrats and against Republicans.
The article contains a statement from the author that implies bias.
Site
Conflicts
Of
Interest (0%)
The Associated Press has a conflict of interest on the topic of Trump ballot status as they are owned by The E.W. Scripps Company which is also involved in legal battles related to voting rights.
Author
Conflicts
Of
Interest (0%)
The Associated Press has a conflict of interest on the topic of Trump ballot status as they are reporting on an appeal related to a judge's decision regarding this issue. The AP also has a financial stake in the U.S Supreme Court as it is covering their ruling on insurrection clause in the U.S Constitution.
The Associated Press reported that Maine’s top court dismissed an appeal of Judge John Lewis’ decision on Trump ballot status.
