The Colorado Supreme Court said that former President Donald Trump could not be on the state’s 2024 presidential primary ballot. Trump is now asking the Supreme Court to overturn that ruling.
A Colorado court said Trump couldn’t run because he was linked to the attack on the Capitol on January 6th, which they called “engaging in insurrection” against the U.S. Constitution. Trump’s lawyers say that what he did does not fit the meaning of an uprising.
This week, the Supreme Court said that they will hear cases on February 8th about whether Trump’s First Amendment rights are violated by not letting him run for office. A choice is likely to come soon, maybe even by March 5, when primaries are held in several states.
What happened has big effects not only in Colorado, but also in other state courts that might try to stop Trump from running for office using the same arguments. Early polls show that the former president is still the clear favorite to win the Republican nomination for president in 2024.
In their brief to the Supreme Court, Trump’s lawyers say that his statements questioning the results of the 2020 election are First Amendment-protected political speech. Some people say that there is no formal basis to say that he was involved in an uprising.
Some people say that Trump directly caused the attack on Congress while it was confirming Joe Biden’s election win. The judges will have to decide if Trump’s part in what happened on January 6 is enough to legally keep him from being president under the 14th Amendment.
People will pay close attention to the court’s ruling to see how they feel about any ongoing threat Trump may pose to democratic institutions and the peaceful transfer of power. Their decision could also affect the 2024 GOP primary. If the Colorado decision stands, Trump might not be able to run in key states.