The top advisor to former President Barack Obama warned Democrats that forcibly removing former President Donald Trump from primary ballots is a risky move going into 2024.
Speaking with CNN, Axelrod said he has very, very strong reservations” about states like Maine and Colorado banning Trump and citing the 14th Amendment’s “insurrection” clause and declaring Trump “ineligible” to run for President.
“I have very, very strong reservations about all of this,” Axelrod said.
“I do think it would rip the country apart if he were actually prevented from running because tens of millions of people want to vote for him,” he added.
Axelrod argued that Democrats are playing right into Trump’s hands by removing him from the 2024 primary ballot.
“A lot of the motivation for [Trump’s] candidacy was as a legal defense strategy,” Axelrod explained.
“He wanted to set up a construct … which says that they’re coming after him because he’s running for president, and they’re trying to prevent him from being president.”
Axelrod added that every attack democrats had brought against Trump has so far backfired.
“We’ve run this experiment, he’s only gained since he started getting indicted.”
Brianne Pfannenstiel, chief political reporter at the Des Moines Register, echoed Axelrod’s assessment.
“If he’s being attacked, Republicans in Iowa tend to gravitate even more closely to him… His support is only getting stronger here in Iowa,” she said.
Watch
"If he's being attacked, Republicans in Iowa tend to gravitate even more closely to him… His support is only getting stronger here in Iowa." @brianneDMR on Iowa polling that shows Trump's rhetoric makes GOP caucusgoers more likely to support him pic.twitter.com/Hxb60GaQbD
— Inside with Jen Psaki (@InsideWithPsaki) December 31, 2023
Axelrod said the best way to defeat Trump was by not removing him from the ballot but beating him at the ballot box.
“I think if you’re going to beat Donald Trump, you’re going to probably have to do it at the polls.”
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