Former top Obama adviser David Axelrod warned Friday that a court decision removing former President Donald Trump from the primary ballot “would rip the country apart.”

“I have very, very strong reservations about all of this,” Axelrod said on CNN on Friday. “I do think it would rip the country apart if he were actually prevented from running because tens of millions of people want to vote for him.” 

Axelrod said that the Democrats’ best bet on beating Trump is in the polls.

“I think if you’re going to beat Donald Trump, you’re going to probably have to do it at the polls,” he continued.