The Colorado Supreme Court concluded on Tuesday that former president and current presidential candidate Donald Trump is constitutionally barred from appearing on that state’s 2024 primary election ballot. The state Supreme Court relied on Section 3 of the 14th Amendment, which bars people who engaged in an insurrection, or gave aid or comfort to those who did, from serving in office. Section 3 is part of our nation’s Constitution because we wanted to prevent people who tried to destroy our country from within, in that case during the Civil War, from holding elected office in our representative government.
The U.S. Supreme Court cannot sit back and let states create a patchwork of decisions regarding Trump’s eligibility for the ballot.
Tuesday’s decision cries out for resolution by the U.S. Supreme Court, which, as our nation’s highest court, cannot sit back and let states create a patchwork of decisions regarding Trump’s eligibility for the ballot. Trump, the other presidential candidates, election administration officials and the voting public need a clear answer from the Supreme Court as to whether Section 3 bars Trump from being president again.
The last thing the justices wanted to do is enter the political thicket, but there is little avoiding this question and its enormous implications for the 2024 election. There is no way to make both sides of this debate happy. Those who believe Trump gave aid or comfort to people who engaged in an insurrection argue that he is constitutionally disqualified from office, and that the Supreme Court stands as one of the last guardrails to protect us and uphold the Constitution. Those who believe the opposite, or support Trump, or think this question should be left to the voters, argue that unelected Supreme Court justices should not take the choice of whether to vote for Trump away from the electorate.
If and when the high court agrees to hear Trump’s appeal of the Colorado court’s ruling, it is almost…
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