Trump Appeals to Supreme Court to Keep his Name on the Colorado Primary Ballot, Defending his Eligibility to Run for President
Former President Donald Trump has taken his fight to the highest court in the land, asking the U.S. Supreme Court to ensure that he can appear on primary ballots across the country this spring.
Trump's appeal comes in response to a ruling by the Colorado Supreme Court, which concluded that he engaged in an insurrection before and during the January 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol, making him ineligible to serve as president again.
Last month, the Colorado Supreme Court made history by becoming the first court to invoke a post-Civil War provision of the U.S. Constitution that bars insurrectionists from holding office. The ruling led to Trump's disqualification from appearing on the state's primary ballot.
Last week, Maine's secretary of state also announced that Trump would be barred from the primary ballot in that state. However, Trump has appealed the decision in Maine's state court, and the case could potentially reach the U.S. Supreme Court as well.
Both Colorado and Maine have temporarily suspended their decisions to keep Trump off the ballot, allowing for appeals to be made.
In his filing to the U.S. Supreme Court, Trump's lawyers urged the justices to swiftly reverse the Colorado Supreme Court's ruling and restore the voters' right to choose their preferred candidate. They argued that judges should not have the authority to prevent voters from casting their ballots for the leading Republican presidential candidate.
Until the U.S. Supreme Court takes action, Trump's name will remain on the primary ballot in Colorado. Similarly, in Maine, Trump's name will stay on the ballot until a state judge reviews the issue. Both states hold their primaries on Super Tuesday, March 5, and the printing of ballots needs to commence well in advance.
According to federal law, ballots for overseas voters must be mailed by January 20, with ballots for other voters becoming available a few weeks later.
Trump, who is currently the frontrunner for the 2024 GOP nomination, has been firm in his belief that it is undemocratic for a court or state official to prevent him from running. He has emphasized that if other states followed Colorado and Maine's lead and attempted to bar him from their ballots, he would have no chance of winning.
Notably, Trump has been charged in federal and state court in relation to his efforts to challenge Joe Biden's victory in the 2020 election. However, neither case accuses him of insurrection, and he has pleaded not guilty to all charges.
READ MORE:
COLORADO SUPREME COURT'S DECISION BOOSTS TRUMP'S POLITICAL STANDING
COLORADO SUPREME COURT WEIGHS TRUMP'S ELIGIBILITY UNDER INSURRECTION CLAUSE
A GROUP OF SIX COLORADO VOTERS SEEKING TO KEEP TRUMP OFF BALLOT
In their appeal, Trump's legal team argued that individual states lack the authority to enforce Section 3 of the 14th Amendment. They warned that allowing each jurisdiction to establish and enforce its own qualifications for a nationwide office would lead to chaos and voter confusion. They also highlighted that the Colorado Supreme Court's ruling goes against the decisions of other courts, making it an outlier in this matter.
Trump's opponents maintain that the prohibition on insurrectionists serving in office is clear within the Constitution. They argue that Trump's own actions on January 6, when he encouraged his supporters to march to the Capitol and "fight like hell," make him responsible for sidelining himself from another presidential run.