Colorado Supreme Court Decision Disqualifying Trump From 2024 Ballot, Slammed As Unconstitutional By Experts

Colorado state's supreme court in a ruling published Tuesday, disqualified former President Donald Trump from appearing in the state's ballot in the 2024 primary elections. The decision by left-wing justices who were all appointed by Democrat governors marks the first time in history that Section 3 of the 14th Amendment of the United States constitution, has been used to disqualify a presidential candidate.

The divided court's 4-3 majority decision declared that Trump was ineligible for the White House under the U.S. Constitution's insurrection clause and removed him from the state's presidential primary ballot.

"A majority of the court holds that Trump is disqualified from holding the office of president under Section 3 of the 14th Amendment," the court wrote in its 4-3 decision.

"We do not reach these conclusions lightly," the court wrote. "We are mindful of the magnitude and weight of the questions now before us. 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 ruling overturns District Judge Sarah B. Wallace's previous decision that found that Trump incited an insurrection for his role in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol, but said he could not be barred from the ballot because it was unclear that the provision was intended to cover the presidency.

The 14th Amendment states: "No person shall be a Senator or Representative in Congress, or elector of President and Vice-President, or hold any office, civil or military, under the United States, or under any state, who, having previously taken an oath, as a member of Congress, or as an officer of the United States, or as a member of any State legislature, or as an executive or judicial officer of any State, to support the Constitution of the United States, shall have engaged in insurrection or rebellion against the same, or given aid or comfort to the enemies thereof But Congress may by a vote of two-thirds of each House, remove such disability."

The court stayed its decision until Jan. 4, or until the U.S. Supreme Court rules on the case. Colorado officials said the issue must be settled by Jan. 5, the deadline for the state to print its presidential primary ballots.

The ruling will be appealed by Trump's team, setting up a likely showdown in the U.S Supreme Court to decide whether the Republican Party's front-runner can remain in the presidential race.

Trump Campaign Spokesman Steven Cheung wrote in a statement that an appeal would be filed on Tuesday night. "Unsurprisingly, the all-Democrat appointed Colorado Supreme Court has ruled against President Trump, supporting a Soros-funded, left-wing group’s scheme to interfere in an election on behalf of Crooked Joe Biden by removing President Trump’s name from the ballot and eliminating the rights of Colorado voters to vote for the candidate of their choice," he wrote. "Democrat Party leaders are in a state of paranoia over the growing, dominant lead President Trump has amassed in the polls. They have lost faith in the failed Biden presidency and are now doing everything they can to stop the American voters from throwing them out of office next November. The Colorado Supreme Court issued a completely flawed decision tonight and we will swiftly file an appeal to the United States Supreme Court and a concurrent request for a stay of this deeply undemocratic decision. We have full confidence that the U.S. Supreme Court will quickly rule in our favor and finally put an end to these unAmerican lawsuits."

During a speech in Waterloo, Iowa, on Tuesday night, Trump said: "crooked Joe Biden and the far-Left lunatics are desperate to stop us by any means necessary. They're willing to violate the U.S. Constitution at levels never seen before in order to win this election. Joe Biden is a threat to democracy. They're weaponizing law enforcement for high level election interference because we're beating them so badly in the polls."

Republican National Committee's chairwoman Ronna McDaniel remarking on the court's ruling wrote on X: "Election interference. This irresponsible ruling will be appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court and our legal team looks forward to helping fight for a victory. The Republican nominee will be decided by Republican voters, not a partisan state court."

U.S. Senator Ted Cruz also slammed the ruling, writing on X, "This ruling is garbage. This WILL be appealed to the Supreme Court & the Supreme Court WILL reverse it. To every Dem & media outlet saying 'save Democracy,' this is a test: Will you denounce these partisan judges trying to PREVENT THE VOTERS from choosing the next President?"

Former Trump impeachment attorney Bruce Castor says the Colorado supreme court "will live to regret this grave mistake."

Even the El Salvador president Nayib Bukele chimed in on X, writing, "The United States has lost its ability to lecture any other country about 'democracy.'"

On his part one of Trump's rivals in the presidential race, Vivek Ramaswamy took to X, and vowed: "to withdraw from the Colorado GOP primary ballot until Trump is also allowed to be on the ballot, and I demand that Ron DeSantis, Chris Christie, and Nikki Haley do the same immediately - or else they are tacitly endorsing this illegal maneuver which will have disastrous consequences for our country."

Disqualification lawsuits relating to Trump's appearance on the ballot are pending in 13 other states, including Texas, Nevada and Wisconsin.