The Colorado Supreme Court has ruled that Donald Trump is ineligible to run for the US presidency and cannot participate in the state’s primaries because of his involvement in the 6th of January 2021 attack on the US Capitol, the state’s highest court ruled on Tuesday, the 19th of December, reports Reuters.
Trump campaign officials criticised the Colorado Supreme Court’s move, calling it “undemocratic”. A campaign spokesman said they would immediately appeal to the US Supreme Court.
The Colorado court announced that it would postpone the entry into force of the decision until at least the 4th of January 2024 to allow for an appeal.
The Colorado Supreme Court’s decision may prompt the US Supreme Court, with its conservative majority,
to consider more broadly the question of Trump’s eligibility to run for another presidential term.
The lawsuit is seen as a test of broader efforts to disqualify Trump from state ballots under Section 3 of the 14th Amendment.
The Colorado Supreme Court’s decision overturns a lower court ruling that determined Trump incited the rebellion, but as president is not considered an “officer of the United States” and therefore cannot be disqualified under the 14th Amendment, writes Reuters.
The Colorado Supreme Court, recognising the seriousness of the issue, said the decision was “uncharted territory”. The majority judges said that the decision was not an easy one but stressed their duty to apply the law impartially and without being influenced by public reaction.
The Colorado Supreme Court’s historic 4:3 ruling, which is also likely to be accepted by the US Supreme Court, makes Trump the first presidential candidate to be found ineligible for the White House under a rarely used constitutional provision barring office holders who have engaged in “rebellion or sedition,” reports Reuters.
Also read: Biden and Trump exchange barbs as 2024 elections approach
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