United States: The US capitol was attacked on January 6, 2021, by the supporters of Former President Donald Trump; following this the Colorado Supreme Court on Tuesday disqualified him from next year’s presidential elections.
As per the Colorado court’s decision, Trump becomes the first presidential candidate in American history to be deemed ineligible for presidential elections under the provision of the US Constitution that prevents officials who have engaged in “insurrection or rebellion” from holding office, according to Reuters.
Former President Donald Trump is prohibited from the 2024 Republican nominations as he was involved in encouraging violence against the US government, as per the US Constitution, the court concluded.
The verdict only pertained to the state’s Republican primary on March 5, but its outcome is expected to have an impact on Trump’s candidacy for the general election on November 5. Colorado is seen by unbiased US election observers as safely Democratic, indicating that President Joe Biden will probably win the state regardless of what happens to Trump.
The news agency further stated that with assistance from Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, Colorado, voters filed the lawsuit, arguing that Trump should be removed from office for encouraging his followers to attack the Capitol in an unsuccessful attempt to block Biden’s succession as president following the 2020 election.
Trump campaign vows swift appeal to US Supreme Court
“The Colorado Supreme Court issued a completely flawed decision tonight, and we will file an appeal to the United States Supreme Court and a concurrent request for a stay of this deeply undemocratic decision,” a spokesperson from the Trump campaign said. He added that the court decision “flawed” and “undemocratic,” further he said it would be appealed.
Advocate groups and anti-Trump voters have successfully challenged Trump’s candidacy in court using section 3 of the 14th Amendment, which was passed following the Civil War, and this decision is a victory for them, as per Reuters.
The result overturns a lower court judge’s finding that Trump incited violence among his supporters, so engaging in insurrection. However, as president, Trump was not considered an “officer of the United States” and was therefore not subject to disqualification under the amendment.
Trump’s attorney said that the Capitol riot was not violent enough to be considered an insurrection and that Trump’s statement to his supporters that day in Washington was protected by his right to free speech. The attorney argued that the courts lacked the power to order Trump to be taken off the ballot.
According to the advocates, the case’s goal was to advance a larger attempt to disqualify and maybe take the matter to the US Supreme Court.
Three Trump appointees comprise the conservative majority of the US Supreme Court, which stands at 6-3.