Donald Trump must be defeated by the American people at the ballot box

Editorial: The case against the former president has yet to be proven in court – and efforts by state officials to block his candidacy are not only counterproductive, they may also prove incendiary. Let him run

Legal cases fuel a media circus to the detriment of wider political debate (AP)

The decision by Shenna Bellows, secretary of state of Maine, to rule Donald Trump ineligible as a presidential candidate was a mistake. That her decision was followed in a few hours by a contrary decision by Shirley Weber, secretary of state of California, confirms how mistaken it was.

Two officials, the most senior responsible for elections in their states, reaching opposite conclusions on the same facts suggests that the case against Mr Trump is far from watertight.

On principle, if there is any reasonable doubt about Mr Trump’s eligibility, he should be allowed to stand. In a democracy, it is for the people to decide who is and who is not a suitable person to hold office.