In a unanimous decision, the Supreme Court of the United States overturned Colorado’s attempt to disqualify Donald Trump from the Republican presidential primary ballot.
The state’s bid was based on allegations of insurrection related to the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot.
Trump celebrated the ruling as a significant victory, announcing it on his platform, Truth Social, with the proclamation, “BIG WIN FOR AMERICA!!!”
The ruling arrived just before Super Tuesday, a pivotal moment in the primary season that could solidify Trump’s lead in the race for the Republican nomination against President Joe Biden.
This Supreme Court case was deemed the most impactful election-related case since the 2000 Florida vote recount, which ultimately decided the presidency in favor of George W. Bush.
The central issue for the court’s nine justices was whether Trump’s alleged involvement in the Capitol assault rendered him ineligible for the Colorado primary ballot.
The court, which leans conservative, unanimously agreed that the Colorado Supreme Court’s judgment was invalid, allowing Trump, aged 77 and the leading Republican candidate, to remain on the ballot.
The controversy originated from a Colorado Supreme Court decision in December, which invoked the 14th Amendment’s Section 3 to argue for Trump’s removal from the ballot due to his connection with the January 6 incident.
This constitutional clause prohibits individuals who have engaged in insurrection or rebellion from holding public office.
However, during the Supreme Court’s deliberations, justices across the ideological spectrum expressed reservations about allowing individual states to determine eligibility for presidential candidates, leading to the unanimous ruling in Trump’s favor.
