On Monday, the US Supreme Court removed a potential obstacle to Donald Trump’s bid to return to the White House, unanimously overturning a ruling by a Colorado state court that could have prevented him from appearing on the ballot due to his involvement in the insurrection.
The ruling in favor of the former president came just before the Super Tuesday primaries, which are expected to solidify Trump’s position as the Republican nominee to challenge President Joe Biden in November. At issue before the nine justices was whether Trump could be disqualified from the Republican presidential primary ballot in Colorado for his role in the January 6, 2021, attack on the US Capitol by his supporters.
In a 9-0 decision, the Supreme Court declared that “the judgment of the Colorado Supreme Court… cannot stand,” allowing the 77-year-old Trump, the leading contender for the Republican nomination, to be listed on the state’s primary ballot.
The case originated from a December ruling by the Colorado Supreme Court, which cited the 14th Amendment to the Constitution in deciding to remove Trump from the ballot. However, during arguments last month, both conservative and liberal justices expressed reservations about individual states determining presidential ballot eligibility.
On Monday, the Supreme Court ruled that “the responsibility for enforcing Section 3 against federal officeholders and candidates rests with Congress and not the States.” Section 3 of the 14th Amendment prohibits individuals who have engaged in “insurrection or rebellion” from holding public office.
Apart from the Colorado case, the Supreme Court has agreed to consider Trump’s claim of immunity from criminal prosecution as a former president, particularly regarding charges related to conspiring to overturn the 2020 election results.
Trump was impeached by the House of Representatives for inciting an insurrection but was acquitted by the Senate, largely due to Republican support.
