The Colorado Supreme Court announced on Tuesday its ruling that former US President Donald Trump would be ineligible to appear on the state’s 2024 ballot as a presidential candidate due to the 14th Amendment’s “insurrectionist ban”.
The 4-3 decision, set to await potential challenge in the US Supreme Court by Trump, is tied to his involvement in the US Capitol attack orchestrated by his supporters on January 6, 2021.
This historic ruling marks the first disqualification of a US presidential candidate under the provision preventing participation for those associated with “insurrection or rebellion”.
While the court’s order specifically applies to Colorado, its implications could extend to Trump’s status for the upcoming November 5 general elections nationwide. Neutral observers of US elections consider Colorado to be Democratic-leaning, indicating an expected victory for President Joe Biden in the state, regardless of Trump’s status there.
The Colorado SC bench asserted that during the Capitol siege, Trump not only incited but also actively supported the insurrection by persistently urging Vice President Mike Pence to neglect his constitutional duties and by pressuring Senators to halt the electoral vote count.
The court stated, “These actions amounted to overt, voluntary, and direct involvement in the insurrection.”
“The evidence, most of which was undisputed during the trial, establishes President Trump’s engagement in insurrection,” they added. “His repeated and explicit efforts, spanning several months, encouraging supporters to march to the Capitol and prevent what he falsely characterized as electoral fraud against the nation, were unequivocally overt and voluntary.”
Additionally, the court declared that Trump’s speech on January 6 was not shielded by the First Amendment’s right to free speech.
Trump has pledged to appeal the ruling in the US Supreme Court. Meanwhile, the Colorado court has agreed to postpone the implementation of its decision until at least January 4, 2024, to allow time for an appeal.
This decision lays the groundwork for the Supreme Court, with its 6-3 conservative majority including three Trump appointees, to deliberate on Trump’s eligibility for another presidential term.
The lawsuit stands as a pivotal case testing broader attempts to disqualify Trump from state ballots under section 3 of the 14th Amendment, designed post the US Civil War to prevent confederacy supporters from governmental roles.
The Colorado court concluded that Trump, a frontrunner for the Republican nomination in 2024, would be barred from the ballot due to his role in inciting violence at the Capitol during the certification of the 2020 election results. The majority justices acknowledged the unprecedented nature of their decision.
“We approach these determinations with utmost seriousness,” wrote the majority justices. “We recognize the gravity and significance of the issues at hand. We remain committed to upholding the law, without bias, and despite potential public response to the mandates the law directs us to undertake.”
Trump’s campaign criticized the court’s decision as “undemocratic.”
“The decision by the Colorado Supreme Court is fundamentally flawed, and we will promptly file an appeal with the United States Supreme Court,” stated a spokesperson from the Trump campaign.
(Islamabad51_Newsdesk)
