Colorado: Supreme Court Disqualifies Trump in 2024 Ballot
Colorado’s Supreme Court has declared that Donald Trump cannot participate in the state’s primary election on March 5, citing a constitutional insurrection clause, Excel Magazine International reports.
The 4-3 ruling determined that Trump’s involvement in the US Capitol riot nearly three years ago makes him ineligible as a candidate.
While this decision only affects the state’s primary, it may pose challenges for Trump in the broader context of the 2024 US presidential election.
Trump’s campaign intends to appeal to the US Supreme Court, criticizing the Colorado ruling as “completely flawed.”
This landmark decision marks the first use of Section 3 of the US Constitution’s 14th Amendment to disqualify a presidential candidate.
The court emphasized the gravity of the matter, acknowledging its duty to apply the law impartially.
The ruling, which awaits appeal until next month, applies solely to Colorado.
Attempts in other states, including New Hampshire, Minnesota, and Michigan, to exclude Trump from the ballot have so far been unsuccessful.
The court’s decision, set to take effect on January 4, 2024, the eve of the state’s presidential primary ballot deadline, overturns a previous ruling by a Colorado judge.
This judge had argued that the insurrection ban of the 14th Amendment did not apply to presidents.
Spokesperson Steven Cheung criticized the justices, all appointed by Democratic governors, calling the ruling flawed.
The Trump campaign plans a swift appeal to the US Supreme Court, where conservatives hold a 6 to 3 majority.
Democrats view the decision as supporting their argument that the US Capitol riot constituted an attempted insurrection, highlighting differences between Trump and Biden.
Republican lawmakers, including House Speaker Mike Johnson, condemned the ruling as a “thinly veiled partisan attack.”
Trump’s primary rivals and the Colorado Republican Party also expressed opposition, with potential consequences for the state’s primary process.
The group behind the case, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (Crew), welcomed the ruling, stating it is historic and essential for democracy.
The 14th Amendment’s Section 3, rarely invoked since the Civil War, was designed to prevent secessionists from returning to government roles.
Trump’s legal troubles extend beyond this ruling, with four criminal cases, including allegations of election subversion in Georgia.
