US Presidential Election 2024: Colorado Ballot Eligibility for Donald Trump Is Restored by the Supreme Court

In a unanimous ruling, the US Supreme Court upheld former President Donald Trump’s eligibility to continue running for Colorado’s primary. In addition to rejecting the state’s effort to disqualify Trump, this ruling may set national standards. With six conservative and three liberal justices concurring on the decision, it is a major win for front-runner Donald Trump in the Republican presidential contest. The ruling by the Supreme Court underscores that states are not allowed to strike a candidate from the ballot because of their participation in incidents such as the Capitol riot on January 6, 2021.

The US Supreme Court ruled that the Colorado Supreme Court erred in assuming that states may exclude a presidential candidate under the 14th Amendment. Those who have participated in rebellion are not permitted to occupy public office, according to the 14th Amendment. “We reverse because the Constitution places the burden of enforcing Section 3 against all federal officeholders and candidates on Congress, not the states,” the opinion said.

The most recent decision makes it abundantly evident that Congress, not individual states, is in charge of formulating rules pertaining to the application of the 14th Amendment’s clause. Consequently, not only Colorado but all US states are covered by this ruling.

As a consequence of his attempts to reverse his loss to Democrat Joe Biden in the 2020 election, the outcome ends efforts to have Trump removed off the ballot in states including Colorado, Illinois, Maine, and others.

“HUGE SUCCESS FOR AMERICA!!!” Shortly after the announcement of the Supreme Court’s ruling, Trump sent a message on social media.

The majority of states vote on Super Tuesday, the day of the presidential primary cycle, one day before the ruling. Super Tuesday will include voting in around fifteen states and one territory this year, including Colorado.

However, Trump-appointed Conservative Justice Amy Coney Barrett, along with three liberal justices, Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan, and Ketanji Brown Jackson, chastised their five conservative colleagues for going farther than necessary in their efforts to resolve Trump’s case, coming to the conclusion that the 14th Amendment can only be enforced by legislation passed by Congress.

“The majority declares that only when Congress passes a certain kind of legislation in accordance with Section 5 of the Fourteenth Amendment may an act be disqualified as an insurrection. The three liberal justices said, “By doing this, the majority closes the door on other potential means of federal enforcement.”

They went on, “We oppose the majority’s attempt to use this case to define the boundaries of federal enforcement of that provision, even though we agree that Colorado cannot enforce Section 3.”

In a concurring opinion, Barrett—Trump’s last high court appointee—judged that “now is not the time to amplify disagreement with stridency.”

In the turbulent period leading up to a presidential election, the Court has resolved a contentious political matter. Writings about the Court, especially in this context, ought to lower rather than raise the public temperature, Barrett said.