Former President Trump has taken his battle to stay on state primary ballots to the US Supreme Court.
The U.S. Supreme Court, including three justices appointed by Trump, will hear Trump’s appeal. He’s challenging a decision that barred him from Colorado’s Republican primary ballot due to his role in the Capitol attack. Trump’s lawyers are ready to bring his battle to stay on state presidential ballots to the United States Supreme Court. This case has significant implications for the November election.
Section 3 of the 14th Amendment states that individuals who previously held a government position and then engaged in insurrection or supported enemies of the United States are barred from holding public office.
Trump won’t be at the 10 a.m. ET court session. He’ll start his day in Florida and then head to Nevada. There’s a caucus in Nevada that night, where Trump is expected to win easily as he moves closer to becoming his party’s nominee to challenge Democratic President Joe Biden on Nov. 5.
The case is asking the Supreme Court to have a significant role in a presidential election, similar to the Bush v. Gore decision in 2000, which determined the presidency in favor of Republican George W. Bush over Democrat Al Gore.
The Supreme Court might handle another Trump case soon. Trump has until Monday to request the Court’s involvement after a U.S. appeals court dismissed his claim of immunity in one of two cases where he’s charged with crimes tied to his attempts to overturn the 2020 election he lost to Biden.
On December 19, Colorado’s highest court issued a ruling regarding Trump’s ballot eligibility. This decision was part of a broader effort to prevent Trump from appearing on ballots in multiple states due to his connection to the January 6, 2021 Capitol attack. Additionally, Maine has also excluded Trump from its ballot, but this decision is pending the Supreme Court’s ruling on the Colorado case.
The Supreme Court could reach a decision soon because Colorado’s Republican primary is scheduled for March 5th.Donald Trump’s sole remaining rival for the nomination is former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley.
The situation in Colorado raises important questions for the Supreme Court, which has a conservative majority of 6-3. Trump’s legal team argues that he shouldn’t be disqualified because presidents aren’t considered “officers of the United States,” and enforcing the rule requires action from Congress. They also contend that Trump wasn’t involved in an insurrection.
During the Capitol events, Donald Trump’s supporters attacked police and entered the building to halt Congress from certifying Biden’s win. Earlier, Trump had encouraged them to “fight like hell” in a speech and didn’t respond to requests for hours to urge them to stop.
The 14th Amendment was created following the Civil War (1861-1865). This war occurred because Southern states, where slavery was legal, rebelled against the U.S. government.
The individuals who sued to disqualify Trump, consisting of four Republican voters and two independent voters, argue that a president is unquestionably considered an “officer of the United States.” They assert that it would be inconsistent to disqualify all insurrectionists who break their oath except the President.
The Supreme Court might resolve the case without explicitly determining whether Trump engaged in an insurrection. This case also differs significantly from the criminal cases against him. Even if the outcome of the Colorado case favors Trump, it may not indicate how the justices would rule on his request for immunity from prosecution as a former president.
The individuals bringing the lawsuit in Colorado are backed by Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, a liberal watchdog group.