US: Colorado court declares Donald Trump 'ineligible' for presidential bid
The Colorado Supreme Court on Tuesday disqualified former United States (US) President Donald Trump from appearing on the ballot for presidential elections over his involvement in the US Capitol attack in January 2021. With this order, he reportedly became the first presidential candidate in US history to be declared ineligible for the White House under a rarely used "insurrection clause" provision of the Constitution.
Why does this story matter?
Trump's supporters allegedly assembled at the Capitol Hill Building on January 5-6, 2021, after he claimed the presidential election was "stolen by emboldened radical-left Democrats." At a "Save America" event on January 6, the then-outgoing president restated his accusation of a "stolen election" and urged his followers to combat the alleged election fraud. Trump's speech during the event allegedly sparked the violence.
Trump's bid for US presidency at risk
The court barred Trump for allegedly engaging in "insurrection or rebellion" by instigating violence against the US government—but stayed its decision until January 4 or, until the US Supreme Court rules in the case. In a 4-3 decision, the Colorado court said Section 3 of the 14th Amendment would apply to the primary ballot. This would likely affect Trump's general election bid.
Colorado judgment overruled district court verdict
The judgment overruled a district court verdict that said Trump could not be prohibited from the ballot because it was unclear if Section 3 was meant to encompass the presidency, The Associated Press reported. State authorities said the issue must be resolved by January 5—the deadline for Colorado to print its presidential primary ballots. "We do not reach these conclusions lightly," the court said.
Trump's counsels term decision 'flawed'
In response to the decision, Trump's counsels said they would appeal the disqualification immediately to the US Supreme Court. His campaign spokesperson Steven Cheung also termed the decision "flawed." "We will swiftly file an appeal to the United States Supreme Court and a concurrent request for a stay of this deeply undemocratic decision," he said in a statement on Tuesday night (local time).
Case was brought by Colorado voters
To recall, the case was brought by some Colorado voters with the support of Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics (CREW). They had reportedly invoked his Capitol attack against US President Joe Biden after the 2020 election. On the other hand, his lawyer argued the riot at the Capitol didn't qualify as an insurrection and that he was protected by the "right to free speech."
Vivek Ramaswamy threatens to exit Republican primary
Meanwhile, Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy has reportedly pledged to exit the GOP primary ballot in Colorado following Trump's disqualification from the ballot. He further labeled the court's decision as an "election interference tactic aimed at silencing political adversaries." "I pledge to withdraw from the Colorado GOP primary unless Trump is also allowed to be on the state's ballot," Ramaswamy posted on X.
