Trump barred from Colorado ballot for role in January 6 attack on US Capitol

In a massive blow to Republican frontrunner Donald Trump's campaign for the upcoming United States presidential election, the Colorado Supreme Courton Tuesday (Dec 19) barred him from appearing on the state’s ballots over his role in the January 6 attack on the US Capitol by his supporters.

The landmark decision that has deemed that the former president is not an eligible presidential candidate, has been placed on hold pending appeal until next month and does not apply to states outside Colorado.

Meanwhile, Trump’s campaign said it would “swiftly file an appeal” to the US Supreme Court, where conservatives hold a six to three majority. Three of them had been appointed by the former president.

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What did the Colorado court rule?

The 4-3 ruling from the state’s top court makes Trump the first presidential candidate in US history to be deemed ineligible for the White House under a rarely used provision of the American Constitution that bars officials who have engaged in “insurrection or rebellion” from holding office.

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While the ruling applies only to Colorado’s March 5 Republican primary, it could affect Trump’s status in the state for the general elections on November 5.

“We do not reach these conclusions lightly. We are mindful of the magnitude and weight of the questions now before us,” the justices wrote in their ruling.

They added, “We are likewise mindful of our solemn duty to apply the law, without fear or favor, and without being swayed by public reaction to the decisions that the law mandates we reach.”

The Colorado Supreme Court’s decision does not go into effect until at least January 4, 2024.

The recent verdict which invokes Section 3 of the US Constitution’s 14th Amendment for the first time to disqualify a presidential candidate also reverses an earlier ruling from a Colorado judge who said that the insurrection ban did not apply to presidents since it does not explicitly name them.

This was after the lower court had established that the former president had participated in the insurrection at the US Capitol by inciting his supporters to violence but said that as president, Trump was not an “officer of the United States” who could be disqualified under the amendment.

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Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington brought the case against the Republican frontrunner on behalf of a group of Colorado voters. The advocacy group’s president Noah Bookbinder called the court’s decision “not only historic and justified, but is necessary to protect the future of democracy in our country.”

‘Completely flawed’

Trump’s campaign, in a swift response, called the decision by the Colorado Supreme Court “undemocratic”.

“The Colorado Supreme Court issued a completely flawed decision tonight and we will swiftly file an appeal to the United States Supreme Court,” said a spokesperson from the Trump campaign.

Vivek Ramaswamy pledges to ‘withdraw’ from Colorado ballot

Republican White House hopeful Vivek Ramaswamy has pledged to withdraw from the GOP primary ballot in Colorado after the state Supreme Court’s decision.

Ramaswamy took to X and called the decision an “unconstitutional maneuver” and called on fellow candidates in the GOP presidential primary to withdraw as well.

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“I pledge to withdraw from the Colorado GOP primary unless Trump is also allowed to be on the state’s ballot, and I demand that Ron DeSantis, Chris Christie, and Nikki Haley to do the same immediately — or else they are tacitly endorsing this illegal maneuver which will have disastrous consequences for our country,” Ramaswamy said in a statement on X.

(With inputs from agencies)