In a groundbreaking decision, the Colorado Supreme Court has delivered a pivotal ruling that excludes former President Donald Trump from the state’s 2024 ballot, citing his ineligibility for presidential candidacy under the 14th Amendment’s “insurrectionist ban.”
Colorado Supreme Court bars Donald Trump From State Ballot
The decision, reached by a narrow 4-3 split, awaits a temporary suspension until January 4, allowing Trump the opportunity to appeal to the US Supreme Court and potentially set a precedent for the entire nation.
While the immediate impact of the ruling is confined to Colorado, its historical significance is poised to reshape the landscape of the 2024 presidential campaign. Colorado election officials stress the urgency of resolution by January 5, the statutory deadline for finalizing the list of candidates for the GOP primary scheduled for March 5.
In an unsigned opinion, the majority of the Supreme Court asserted that Trump’s actions went beyond incitement, stating, “President Trump did not merely incite the insurrection. Even when the siege on the Capitol was fully underway, he continued to support it by repeatedly demanding that Vice President (Mike) Pence refuse to perform his constitutional duty and by calling Senators to persuade them to stop the counting of electoral votes. These actions constituted overt, voluntary, and direct participation in the insurrection.”
The court further emphasized, “We conclude that the foregoing evidence, the great bulk of which was undisputed at trial, established that President Trump engaged in insurrection. President Trump’s direct and express efforts, over several months, exhorting his supporters to march to the Capitol to prevent what he falsely characterized as an alleged fraud on the people of this country were indisputably overt and voluntary.”
In addition to disqualifying Trump’s candidacy, the court rejected his claims of free speech protection, asserting, “President Trump’s speech on January 6 was not protected by the First Amendment.”
The legal foundation for this ruling rests in the 14th Amendment, ratified after the Civil War, which prohibits officials who have engaged in insurrection from holding future office. Despite its vague wording and the absence of explicit mention of the presidency, this provision has been invoked only twice since 1919.
All seven justices on the Supreme Court were appointed by Democratic governors, with six securing statewide retention elections to remain on the bench. The seventh justice, appointed in 2021, has yet to face voters, as reported by CNN. The decision now sets the stage for a potential landmark case that could influence electoral processes on a national scale.
ALSO READ: INDIA URGES STRICTER MEASURES AS NEW JN.1 VARIANT EMERGES, SPARKING CONCERNS”
