US Elections

Ex-US President Trump Disqualified From Colorado Primary Ballot

Published

11 months ago

Dec 20, 2023.

EKO HOT BLOG reports that the Colorado Supreme Court has ruled that former United States (US) President Donald Trump is disqualified from holding the presidency under the constitution’s insurrection clause.

This ruling stems from the events surrounding the January 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol, marking the first time a court has found him ineligible to return to the White House due to this conduct.

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The court’s decision, which was divided with a 4-3 majority, ordered the exclusion of Trump’s name from the state’s Republican presidential primary ballot.

The justices, all appointed by Democratic governors, concluded that Trump’s actions leading up to and during the Capitol breach fall within the scope of Section 3 of the 14th Amendment, disqualifying him from public office.

The ruling specifically impacts Colorado’s primary ballot, with the court pausing its decision until January 4, just one day before the deadline for the state’s Secretary of State to certify candidates for the March 5 primary.

Trump’s campaign intends to appeal the decision to the U.S. Supreme Court, setting the stage for a significant legal battle over his eligibility to run for office as early state voters cast their ballots in the Republican primaries.

The majority opinion stated, “President Trump asks us to hold that Section Three disqualifies every oathbreaking insurrectionist except the most powerful one and that it bars oath-breakers from virtually every office, both state and federal, except the highest one in the land.”

The court found these arguments inconsistent with the historical context and plain language of Section 3.

Responding to the decision, a spokesperson for Trump’s campaign criticized the ruling as “completely flawed” and vowed to swiftly file an appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court.

Meanwhile, those in favor of the court’s decision, such as Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, hailed it as necessary to uphold the integrity of democracy.

This ruling adds to the legal challenges Trump faces, including a pending criminal case related to the 2020 presidential election set for trial in March.

The Colorado case centered on whether Section 3 of the 14th Amendment disqualifies Trump from holding office due to his involvement in the Capitol attack.

This provision aims to prevent individuals who engaged in insurrection from serving in public office, and multiple lawsuits across the country have raised similar arguments.

While this ruling specifically impacts Colorado, other states have had varied outcomes in similar lawsuits. Michigan’s court found that it’s Congress’s role to determine Trump’s disqualification, while Minnesota’s high court dismissed a suit seeking to exclude him from the primary ballot.