Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows told CNN anchor Kaitlan Collins about “threatening communications” she has received in the hours after banning former President Trump from her state’s presidential primary ballot.
Bellows appeared on the network Friday evening to note how her work to bar Trump, which she claimed is fulfilling her “obligation to uphold the Constitution,” has prompted Trump supporters and other unruly individuals to send threats to her and her staff.
Despite these intimidating messages, Bellows vowed to hold Trump accountable for what she insisted was him orchestrating an “insurrection.”
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Bellows made the decision to ban Trump from the ballot on Thursday. Like the Colorado Supreme Court, the Secretary of State declared the former president “not qualified to hold the office of the President under Section Three of the 14th Amendment.”
Also like Colorado’s decision, Bellows’ was met with opposition from Trump supporters, the GOP, and even liberal media legal analysts like CNN’s senior legal analyst Elie Honig, who expressed that the move was founded on evidence that wouldn’t hold up in “normal court.”
Bellows spoke to Collins about the more extreme instances of this opposition after the anchor brought up Trump posting the lawmaker’s bio on Maine.gov on his Truth Social platform.
Collins stated “But you saw Trump himself sharing on social media ways to contact your office, the information to contact your office. I wonder, given the position that you’re in and the decision that you’ve made, if you have concerns for your safety since making this decision.”
“I was prepared for the possibility of threats,” she began, adding, “And I really appreciate law enforcement and the people around me who have been incredibly supportive of my safety and security. My safety and security is important, so is the safety and security of everyone who works with me.”
The Maine official confirmed her office “received threatening communications,” which she called “unacceptable.” Still, Bellows noted how she would not be deterred by such messages.
“But regardless, my considerations in this proceeding is to adhere to the process. We are a nation of laws. Maine law required me to hold a hearing and issue a decision, and now it goes to the Superior Court and I will uphold the ruling of the courts. That is the process that we are due.”
Bellows proceeded to reiterate to the news network her belief that Trump committed an insurrection against the U.S. government.
“And again, looking at the evidence and the events of January 6, it was an insurrection because people attacked not only the Capitol, but also that process of the peaceful transfer of power,” he said.
Collins then asked how concerning Bellows has found the threats, to which the Democratic lawmaker repeated, “Those threatening communications are truly unacceptable, and I certainly worry about the safety of people that I love, people around me, and people who are charged with protecting me and working alongside me.”
She added, “That being said, we are a nation of laws and that’s what’s really important. And so I’ve been laser focused on that obligation to uphold the Constitution.”
According to Denver police, threats were made against the Colorado Supreme Court justices who barred Trump from their state ballot. A Denver PD spokesperson told Fox News Digital it is “currently investigating incidents directed at Colorado Supreme Court justices and will continue working with our local, state and federal law enforcement partners to thoroughly investigate any reports of threats or harassment.”
Fox News Digital reached out to Bellows’ office for further comment and is waiting on a response.
Fox News Digital’s Landon Mion contributed to this report.
