Washington DC

The US Supreme Court on Friday (Jan 5) agreed to hear former President Donald Trump's appeal after he was barred from Colorado's Republican primary ballot. Colorado Supreme Court on December 19 last year disqualified Trump from the state's primary based on the 14th Amendment, citing his alleged involvement in the January 6, 2021, Capitol attack.

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The justices have expedited the process, scheduling oral arguments for February 8, well ahead of the Colorado Republican primary slated for March 5. Trump, the frontrunner for the Republican nomination, filed his appeal on Wednesday (Jan 4).

Also read | Donald Trump urges US Supreme Court to 'summarily reverse' Colorado presidential primary ballot ban

The Colorado Supreme Court's decision, in response to a challenge by Republican and unaffiliated voters, found Trump ineligible under the constitutional provision barring those who "engaged in insurrection or rebellion" from holding public office. The US Supreme Court has not yet addressed a separate appeal from the Colorado Republican Party on the same matter.

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Potential advantage for Donald Trump?

The legal battle has put the US Supreme Court, with its conservative majority including three Trump-appointed justices, into a highly charged political dispute. 

Detractors aim to thwart Trump's campaign to reclaim the presidency, while his supporters decry the efforts as election interference.

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Trump's spokesperson, Steven Cheung, applauded the decision, and claimed that the disqualification attempts were a "well-funded effort by left-wing political activists."

What does it mean

The Colorado case not only poses challenges to Trump's presidential aspirations but also places the Supreme Court in a precarious position. The outcome will likely influence wider efforts to disqualify Trump from other state ballots, with implications reaching beyond Colorado and Maine, where similar legal battles are underway.

Also watch | WION Rewind 2023: This year saw Trump rising from the ashes

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The Colorado ruling marks the first instance of Section 3 of the 14th Amendment being used to deem a presidential candidate ineligible. Trump's legal team argues that this is an unprecedented judicial intervention in preventing voters from casting ballots for a major-party presidential candidate.

(With inputs from agencies)