In a staggering win for presidential hopeful Donald Trump, the U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that Colorado and other states cannot bar Trump from their ballots over accusations of insurrection.
Supreme Court Rule in Trump’s Favor
The U.S. Supreme Court has unanimously ruled that former president and GOP favorite Donald Trump may remain on the Colorado presidential ballot for 2024. The decision, made on Monday, comes at a time when several states have moved to challenge Trump’s position on their election ballots, arguing that he unlawfully incited the January 6 Capitol riots in 2020.
While the court ruling was made against Colorado specifically, it will nullify any other challenges brought against Trump’s campaign by other states who want to make the same argument. While Colorado had already made the move to remove him from their primary ballot, the Supreme Court has ruled that only Congress has the right to make such a decision for any state ballot.
Colorado Makes Moves
Colorado, Illinois, and Maine have all attempted to bar Trump based on section three of the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which prohibited public officials from holding office if they had previously “engaged in insurrection.”
Since the Colorado Supreme Court had already found Trump guilty of inciting insurrection by encouraging and supporting his follower’s attack on the U.S. Capitol on Jan 6, 2020, the court also dictated that he was no longer eligible for the presidential nomination.
The ruling was made only 24 hours before Super Tuesday, the biggest day in the 2024 election cycle so far, where 15 states will move to nominate candidates for President of the United States.
Trump Celebrates
This latest legal decision is a landmark victory for Trump, who celebrated the ruling on social media. “BIG WIN FOR AMERICA!!!” he wrote, calling the court decision a “unifying” and “inspirational” move for people throughout the country.
He also addressed it from his estate in Mar-a-Lago, Florida, claiming that it will “be spoken about 100 years from now, 200 years from now.” “You can’t take someone out of a race because an opponent would like it that way,” he added.
One of the biggest obstacles to challenging his presidential bid was the attempted disqualification of Trump from the ballot in states like Colorado, Illinois, and Maine. Now that he can campaign freely and appear on the ballots of all states, most political analysts predict that Trump will dominate the polls for Super Tuesday and come out on top as the Republican presidential candidate over his opponent, Nikki Haley.
Congress vs the State
While the Supreme Court did not address the argument based on the 14th Amendment, it ruled on whether constitutional power should rest with Congress or individual states.
“We conclude that states may disqualify persons holding or attempting to hold state office. But states have no power under the constitution to enforce Section 3 with respect to federal offices, especially the presidency,” the court stated in their 20-page ruling.
“Responsibility for enforcing Section 3 against federal officeholders and candidates rests with Congress and not the States. The judgment of the Colorado Supreme Court therefore cannot stand. All nine Members of the Court agree with that result,” the ruling continued.
A Warning From the Court
While issuing the ruling, the Supreme Court justices warned state governments against attempting to pursue any further legal actions against Trump, based on the insurrection clause, once the presidential elections are over.
The ruling added, “The disruption would be all the more acute—and could nullify the votes of millions and change the election result—if Section 3 enforcement were attempted after the Nation has voted.”
Jena Griswold, the Colorado Secretary of State, also took to social media to air out her disappointments, accusing the Supreme Court of “stripping states of the authority.” “Colorado should be able to bar oath-breaking insurrections from our ballot,” she shared with her followers.
The Colorado Republican Party has released a statement applauding the ruling and stating, ‘ Every American should enjoy the right to vote for the candidate of their choice.’
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