‍

Blake, Wm. St. Paul Preaching in Athens. 1780.

‍

California Governor Gavin Newsom called the efforts to remove Trump from the California ballot “a political distraction,” saying that “in California, we defeat candidates at the polls.”

His comments come after his lieutenant governor sent a letter to California’s secretary of state on Wednesday requesting options be explored to ban Trump from the state’s presidential ballot. The effort was launched following the Colorado Supreme Court’s decision on Tuesday that Trump is ineligible to run for president because he incited “insurrection” on January 6, 2021, and thus is prohibited from appearing on Colorado’s ballot.

Lieutenant Governor Eleni Kounalakis wrote to California’s secretary of state that “California must stand on the right side of history,” adding: “The constitution is clear: you must be 35 years old and not be an insurrectionist.”

Newsom’s remarks embody what many see as his ongoing attempt to appear level-headed to the rest of the country. He’s appeared on Fox News on several occasions this year, suggesting an effort to appeal to conservative voters, perhaps in anticipation of a presidential run in the future.