Select Page

New California Law Seeks to Exclude Trump from 2020 Ballot

New California Law Seeks to Exclude Trump from 2020 Ballot

A new law in California requires all candidates for the 2020 presidential election to disclose five years of income tax returns.

Candidates who fail to meet this requirement will be blocked from appearing on the primary ballot. This includes Donald Trump, who has refrained from releasing his tax returns (and is not required to do so under federal law).

“States have a legal and moral duty to do everything in their power to ensure leaders seeking the highest offices meet minimal standards, and to restore public confidence,” said California Governor Gavin Newsom when he signed the law on July 30th. “The disclosure required by this bill will shed light on conflicts of interest, self-dealing, or influence from domestic and foreign business interest.”

Critics insist the bill was  designed to keep Trump off the ballot and increase the odds of a same-party contest in California’s “top-two” election system. 

“If the California law is allowed to stand, a fringe candidate with no chance of becoming president could win the Republican presidential primary with only a small number of votes and the duly elected president of the United States could be kept off the ballot,” argues lawyer Harmeet K. Dhillon.

Dhillon’s firm is representing the RNC and the California Republican Party in a lawsuit to overturn the ridiculous law as soon as possible. The law is also being challenged by President Trump’s attorneys, by conservative-leaning group Judicial Watch, and by California businessmen Roque “Rocky” de la Fuente.

“We believe the law is firmly on our side. A state government cannot simply do an end-run around the Constitution to add requirements for the office of president of the United States, as California Democrats have done,” writes Dhillon.

If allowed to stand, the law would set a dangerous precedent for other states to enact different sets of rules in order to knock out candidates they don’t like.

Even former California Governor Jerry Brown, a far-left Democrat, vetoed a nearly identical bill when it arrived on his desk in 2017. “Today we require tax returns, but what would be next?” asked Brown. “Five years of health records? A certified birth certificate? High school report cards?”

Editor’s note: This is a pretty gutsy attack on Trump, it is blatantly political directed against one guy, and it attempts to defy Constitutional requirements for candidacy.

Think of similar plays against the election process … like polls taxes – which were found to be unconstitutional, a very long time ago.

About The Author

29 Comments

  1. David

    What do you expect from the Cereal State Yo Gruesome Newsom newsflash you have no authority to keep a candidate’s name off of ballots the Presidential election is Federal not State and I’m pretty sure you can’t even do that with a State election!

  2. DB

    When you look at the controlling families of California who have taken the RICHEST State in the Union and put it into a muli-trillion dollar debt, a state who allows freedom of speech to be beaten down, a State that openly supports illegal immigration, a State who has taken Federal Rail Funds and squandered it on other projects, a State that allows criminal gangs to run certain parts of the cities, a State that has chosen to violate even God’s laws on environment allowing fire potential to build up until it was so bad that when a fire did start it was uncontrollable, destroyed billions of dollars of property, and cost the lives of hundreds.
    The Newsom’s Pelosi’s, Browns, Feinteins, and other families who have passed the Governor position back and forth for the last 80 years must stop if the State is to ever recover. If this continues California will continue to get worse, become a deeper welfare state, and continue to violate the Federal Laws of the Nation.

  3. NavyPO2

    The Demoncrats could screw up an iron ball! They are a s weak as water!

    • db

      Frozen water sank the Titanic! Left unchecked icebergs become powerful obstacles.

    • Robert

      NavyPO2
      Now since water is the most powerful force in nature in the World, it does seem like you missed something someplace, and just look you were in the Navy and did not know that. My water blaster cuts steel at 4 inches thick.

    • Yosemite Sam

      Most of those idiots running Californication eat loco weed! I’m voting for Trump!

  4. timothy

    just let them do it .do not count any of their votes in the general election.let them dig there own grave

  5. timothy

    A little joke my mother,who was raised in Okla. during the great depression told me. when somebody called her an Oakie she would reply saying ALL THE OAKIES THE WENT TO CALIFORNIA AND THE MENTALITY OF BOTH STATES WENT UP

  6. Kurt Walker

    Now voters can see what will happen if the democrats gain control of our government. What the state government of California is basically saying is all you supporters of the president can’t vote. Remember when women and African Americans couldn’t vote??? This isn’t three steps from that era. Now folks if everybody can’t see what the democrats are capable of with this idiocy then the state has gone blind. and if the Supreme Court allows this to stand the rest of the nation has gone with them.

  7. RedBull

    I have a question for the editor… would voters stifled by that law still be able to write in a candidate? It isn’t something I’ve ever done but I thought I could if I wanted to?

  8. Pete Rose

    Maybe we should build a wall around California and give it back to Mexico, and let them send all their illegal aliens there. How’d you like that, Calexico?
    ————-
    This law has to be unconstitutional!

  9. Jean & Jack

    We live in California and are staunch Trump fans. There are many here like us but, unfortunately, not enough to control our liberal “leaders.” Climate wise, it’s a great place to live but, like one of our close friends, many conservatives are moving to other states to get away from our liberal government. What we really need is for MANY Conservatives to move HERE. God help us.

  10. Mike Foley

    You (and others) misstate the facts regarding this law. Precedent has been that candidates for President release their taxes. This is a good requirement in the interest of clarity. California is just trying to codify what has been precedent in the past. Obviously Trump has something to hide in his taxes, or he would have released them. Perhaps you would do the country a favor by attempting to unite Americans, rather than misstating the facts in order to create division.

    • MARVIN WILLIAMS

      MAIKE FOLEY
      IT IS NON OF YOUR BUSINESS WHAT TRUMPS TAXES ARE
      CALIFORNIA HAS BECOME A EMBARRASSMENT TO THE REST
      OF AMERICA.
      MARVIN WILLIAMS

    • DB

      Why does anyone think they have the right to see anyone elses taxes wwhen there are federal laws that say they can’t?

  11. Thomas Davis

    Nobody missstated any facts. The fact is no State hs the right to interfere in Federal elections. Period. Trumps personal affairs are just that. I like the Idea of wall the place of, throw in oregon and Wash. and give it to Mexico, FREE. Calexico has a good sound to it, that is what they want.

  12. Kawika

    Notice that the “Show us your Taxes” ONLY applies to the 2020 Presidential Election, not State and Local Candidates, not the 2024 Election and beyond, but does it even include the DemonRat’s OWN Presidential Candidate?

  13. RC

    If that bunch of communists running Mexifornia manage to do that EVERY vote from that dictatorship should most definitely NOT COUNTED. That goes for all the other ‘states’ hat endorse the same thing.

  14. Robert L. Kahlcke

    OK, NO California votes will be counted for any Federal Office Holder.

  15. db

    Kind of brings to mine “soilent green” form the book “1984” by George Orwell.

  16. Chris

    Poll taxes were deemed perfectly constitutional until the 24th amendment was ratified in 1964, which doesn’t seem all that long ago to me, in the grand scheme of things.

  17. Meekster

    CA and NY will keep trying – They KNOW that this is UNCONSTITUTIONAL and SCOTUS ruled back in the 1800’s on this…..Whatta bunch of a**holes that need a good NUKING….

    • Chris

      I would be interested in knowing what 1800s SCOTUS decisions addressed this issue.

  18. Dan

    How about we hold a national pole on California’s new law. If America doesn’t agree with the California plan, don’t purchase any goods or services or anything else that comes from California. Also, don’t sell any products or medical supplies to any individual, corporation or medical suppliers in California.

    • Chris

      He said “hold a pole” heh heh heh…

  19. Thomas

    Hey Gavin ,
    Quit trying to manage the federal government, and stop attempting to disenfranchise voters! Try to alleviate some of the problems facing California; or is accomplishing something useful that will benefit the people of California not part of your political agenda?

  20. Bob

    Who cares, all of their electoral votes will be going to the Democrat anyway.
    But now a movement within California to divide into 2 states……hmmmmm?

  21. Steven W

    California is totally fuuukkked because the bequiled people have bought into the stupidity of their current leaders! I hope the big one destroys the entire cities of San Francisco and LA. The only ones who would miss them are the illegals and gang members they so readily accept!
    Marxist’s and Communists are an excellent description of that states’ government! Maybe they should call Schumer in New York and get in bed with each other!!!! (Oh….that’s right….they already are!!!

  22. Sal Belardo

    Are we tired of winning yet? Noooooooooo! We’ll never be tired of winning over Socialists Communists! Neveeeeer!