The Supreme Court issued a ruling on Monday that determined the state of Colorado cannot remove former President Donald Trump from the primary ballot using Section 3 of the 14th Amendment. All nine justices agreed with the decision. Colorado’s primary is set to take place on Tuesday, March 5.
Donald Trump reacted to the ruling with a post on Truth Social, calling it a "BIG WIN FOR AMERICA!!!" The challenge to Trump's eligibility stemmed from his actions leading up to the U.S. Capitol breach on January 6, 2021.
The Colorado Supreme Court had previously ruled in December that Trump was disqualified from holding the office of the presidency, citing Section 3 of the 14th Amendment. Two other states, Maine and Illinois, had also moved to bump Trump from the ballot using the same section, but the Supreme Court's decision on Monday ended those efforts as well.
The Supreme Court stated that states have no power under the Constitution to enforce Section 3 with respect to federal offices, especially the Presidency. Trump, who is running for another term in the White House, is the clear GOP frontrunner.
The Dhillon Law Group, representing Trump in the case, praised the Supreme Court's decision, calling it a victory for the integrity of the electoral system and the rights of voters. However, Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold, a Democrat, expressed disappointment in the ruling, stating that Colorado should be able to bar insurrections from the ballot.
In a separate matter, the Supreme Court announced that it would be taking up the issue of whether Trump can invoke presidential immunity to shield himself from federal prosecution in a 2020 election case brought by special counsel Jack Smith. An oral argument is scheduled for the week of April 22, 2024, raising doubts about whether a trial could be held before the election in November.