On Tuesday (19th December), the Colorado Supreme Court in the United States barred ex-President Donald Trump from the Colorado primary ballot and declared him ‘ineligible’ for the White House.
In a 4-3 majority verdict, the court invoked a rarely used ‘insurrection’ clause of the US Constitution to disqualify a Presidential candidate. Interestingly, the Judges of the Colorado Supreme Court were all appointed by Governors belonging to the Democratic Party.
“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 ruled against the former US President.
“We do not reach these conclusions lightly…We are mindful of the magnitude and weight of the questions now before us. We are likewise mindful of our solemn duty to apply the law, without fear or favour, and without being swayed by public reaction to the decisions that the law mandates we reach,” it further added.
Justices Richard L. Gabriel, Melissa Hart, Monica Márquez and Hood wrote the majority verdict. The Colorado Supreme Court overturned a judgment by a district court Judge who ruled that Donald Trump could not be barred from the Presidential primary ballot.
It held Trump responsible for the events that unfolded on 6th January 2021 when his supporters stormed the US Capitol. Having said that, the court has put a stay on its decision until 4th January 2024, thus providing a two-week window for the former President to appeal the verdict in the US Supreme Court.
Reactions to the unprecedented Judgement against Donald Trump
While speaking about the matter, Donald Trump’s spokesperson Alina Habba said, “This ruling, issued by the Colorado Supreme Court, attacks the very heart of this nation’s democracy. It will not stand, and we trust that the Supreme Court will reverse this unconstitutional order.”
Republican leader Elise Stefanik said, “Four partisan Democrat operatives on the Colorado Supreme Court think they get to decide for all Coloradans and Americans the next presidential election.”
Indian-origin US Presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy vowed to withdraw from the Colorado Republican primary ballot and urged fellow candidates such as Ron DeSantis, Chris Christie, and Nikki Haley to follow suit.
Impact of the ruling by the Colorado Supreme Court
It must be mentioned that Donald Trump lost Colorado during the 2020 US Presidential elections and he does not need to win from the considerably ‘safe Democratic State’ to win the 2024 election.
However, the unprecedented verdict by the Colorado Supreme Court may pave the way for other State Supreme Courts to bar Trump from the primary ballot. It must be mentioned that the US Supreme Court currently has a 6-3 Conservative majority.
As of now, Donald Trump is well in the Presidential race and is likely to win against his Democratic rival Joe Biden.