The U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to take up former President Donald Trump’s appeal of the Colorado Supreme Court’s decision to remove him from the state’s presidential primary ballot. On Friday, the higher Court said it would look into whether Trump can be disqualified from the ballot.
At the center of the issue is the 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution which states that anyone that engaged in an insurrection against the United States in the past cannot hold public office.
The constitution has been weaponized against Trump in Colorado and other states, as his detractors argue that his actions leading up to the Jan. 6, 2021 protest at the U.S. Capitol count as an insurrection and hence, should disqualify him from the 2024 election.
The justices’ decision to take the case was unusually fast, as Trump filed the appeal on Wednesday. The process leading up to their final ruling will also be fast-tracked as states primaries approach, with the Colorado Republican primary coming up on March 5.
Oral arguments in front of the justices have been scheduled for Feb. 8, with Trump’s lawyers due to file their opening brief on Jan. 18.
Trump’s spokesperson Steven Cheung, in a statement reacting to the court’s decision to take up the case, expressed approval for the justice’s move. He reiterated his criticism of the disqualification efforts, calling it “part of a well-funded effort by left-wing political activists hell-bent on stopping the lawful re-election of President Trump this November, even if it means disenfranchising voters.”
Meanwhile, Trump’s name is reportedly on the ballot, according to Colorado’s Secretary of State who confirmed it after the Supreme Court’s announcement.
“The United States Supreme Court has accepted the case, and Donald Trump will appear on the ballot as a result,” she said.
She did not speak against the ruling, but rather offered support for it, saying that people in Colorado and the United States in general “deserve clarity on whether someone who engaged in insurrection may run for the country’s highest office.”
Trump is also appealing a ruling by Maine’s Secretary of State Shenna Bellows, which also deemed him ineligible for the state’s ballot based on the 14th Amendment.
