Wisconsin’s Democrat governor believes former President Donald Trump should remain on the ballot.
Governor Tony Evers advised people who believe Trump should be disqualified to “vote against him” while speaking with AP News. His statement comes weeks after Colorado’s Supreme Court and Maine’s Secretary of State ruled that the former president cannot appear on the ballot during the 2024 election.
Evers maintained that removing Trump in battleground states will not “solve anything.”
“At the end of the day, I think the U.S. Supreme Court is going to say, ‘We’re going to let the people decide,’” he said.
“Do I think that he has done things that make Donald Trump disqualified?” Evers continued. “Yeah, but then people can vote against him.”
The governor added that, although there are concerns about President Joe Biden’s age, he believes the incumbent Democrat president does have a path to reelection.
“I think democracy is on the line, but we also have to recognize what a great job [Biden] has done on infrastructure issues and other things,” Evers said. “He needs to be here, simple as that.”
Evers supported Biden’s bid for the presidency in 2020 – four years after Trump won the state. The governor, who was reelected in 2022, said Biden would lead with “kindness, respect, and compassion” during his endorsement.
“It has never been more important to have steady, experienced and empathetic leadership in the White House,” said Evers, per the Wisconsin State Journal. “I know Joe is the kind of leader who will bring us together rather than finding reasons to tear us apart. … As president, Joe will unite our country to not only tackle this pandemic, but build back better than before.”
Biden narrowly won Wisconsin in 2020 by approximately 20,000 votes – securing 49.4% to Trump’s 48.8%.
Governor Evers had been critical of Trump, his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, and his influence on the general public. In August of 2020, Evers asked Trump not to make a scheduled trip to Kenosha after a police shooting triggered days of rioting. Evers called in the National Guard to end the rioting. In a letter, the Democrat told Trump his presence would “hinder our healing.”
“These past few months, from managing a pandemic to facing entrenched racial disparities and inequities, our state — like so many others — has faced unimaginable challenges,” the governor wrote, per WISN. “It is our job as elected officials to lead by example and to be a calming presence for the people we know are hurting, mourning, and trying to cope with trauma. … Now is not the time for divisiveness. Now is not the time for elected officials to ignore armed militants and out-of-state instigators who want to contribute to our anguish.”
Trump ultimately made a trip to the city in early September.
A poll from Marquette University Law School conducted in November found that 50% of voters plan to support Biden while 48% will support Trump. The results were in the 4.5% margin of error, per WPR.
Biden, Trump and five other Republicans were formally selected by Wisconsin’s Presidential Preference Selection Committee on Jan. 2 to appear on the ballot during the upcoming primary. The selections still need to be approved by the Wisconsin Elections Commission. The other Republicans include Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley, Former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, former Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson, and pharmaceutical entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy.
Wisconsin will hold its 2024 presidential primary on April 2.
