Former Obama Advisor Warns Democrats: Excluding Trump From Ballots a Mistake
Former President Barack Obama’s top adviser, David Axelrod, has raised concerns about the strategy some states are considering to keep former President Donald Trump off the primary ballots for the 2024 presidential election. Axelrod, known for his political insights, revealed to CNN on Friday that he harbored “very, very strong reservations” about such moves, highlighting the potential risks it could pose for the Democratic Party.
States like Maine and Colorado have taken steps to declare Trump “ineligible” to run for president in 2024, citing the 14th Amendment’s “insurrection” clause in response to the events of January 6th, 2021. Axelrod expressed his worry, stating that preventing Trump from running could have severe consequences, possibly tearing the country apart.
“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,” Axelrod emphasized during the CNN interview.
"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 argued that attempting to exclude Trump from the 2024 primary ballot might play into the former president’s hands, as Trump had strategically set up his campaign to function as part of his legal defense.
The former Obama adviser noted that every attack Democrats had launched against Trump seemed to backfire, with the former president gaining support.
Brianne Pfannenstiel, chief political reporter at the Des Moines Register, echoed Axelrod’s concerns, emphasizing that attacks on Trump tended to strengthen his support, particularly among Republicans in states like Iowa.
“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,” Pfannenstiel said during a Sunday morning MSNBC show.
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