Former President Donald Trump has been ruled ineligible to run for the White House in one US state and been removed from its 2024 ballot.
The Colorado Supreme Court in a 4-3 decision on Tuesday barred Trump from the state’s presidential primary ballot.
‘A majority of the court holds that Trump is disqualified from holding the office of president under Section 3 of the 14th Amendment,’ the court wrote.
‘Because he is disqualified, it would be a wrongful act under the Election Code for the Colorado Secretary of State to list him as a candidate on the presidential primary ballot.’
The justices reversed a Denver district judge’s ruling in November that Section 3 of the 14th Amendment does not apply to presidents. The section prohibits individuals who take an oath to support the US Constitution, and then engage in insurrection against it, from holding office.
Colorado Supreme Court is the first to decide that Trump is subject to the disqualification clause, citing his role in the January 6 Capitol riot.
‘We do not reach these conclusions lightly. We are mindful of the magnitude and weight of the questions now before us,’ wrote the majority. ‘We are likewise mindful of our solemn duty to apply the law, without fear or favor, and without being swayed by public reaction to the decisions that the law mandates we reach.’
While the ruling applies to Colorado only, Trump could be removed from ballots in other states if the US Supreme Court affirms the decision.
Trump’s campaign stated that he will appeal the ruling and that they ‘have full confidence that the US Supreme Court will quickly rule in our favor and finally put an end to these un-American lawsuits’.
‘Unsurprisingly, the all-Democrat appointed Colorado Supreme Court has ruled against President Trump,’ campaign spokesman Steven Cheung told The New York Times, ’Supporting a Soros-funded, left-wing group’s scheme to interfere in an election on behalf of Crooked Joe Biden by removing President Trump’s name from the ballot and eliminating the rights of Colorado voters to vote for the candidate of their choice.’
The Colorado Supreme Court issued its decision hours before Trump was set to hold a campaign rally in Waterloo, Iowa.
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