Donald Trump has been disqualified from Colorado's presidential primary ballot by the state's Supreme Court.
The landmark ruling related to his role in the January 6, 2021, attack on the US Capitol by his supporters was dubbed as "undemocratic" by the Trump campaign.
A slim majority of the Colorado Supreme Court ruled that the Republican frontrunner is disqualified from appearing on the state's ballot under Section 3 of the 14th Amendment of the US Constitution.
The legislation bars anyone engaged in "insurrection or rebellion" from holding federal office.
Donald Trump disqualified from Colorado 2024 ballot in landmark court ruling
Reuters
A lower court judge previously ruled that Trump's actions on January 6, 2021, during a violent attack on the US Capitol by his supporters amounted to insurrection.
However, they stopped short of disqualifying him, saying Section 3 does not apply to presidents.
The Colorado Supreme Court paused its own ruling pending review by the US Supreme Court, which Trump said he will immediately seek.
The case involves a host of unprecedented legal issues related to Section 3, which was passed in the aftermath of the Civil War and has rarely been tested.
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Donald Trump does not need to win Colorado in the November 2024 election
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A spokesperson from the Trump campaign said: "The Colorado Supreme Court issued a completely flawed decision tonight and we will swiftly file an appeal to the United States Supreme Court."
Reuters reports that Trump does not need to win Colorado in the November 2024 election and is not expected to, given its strong Democratic leanings. Joe Biden won the state by more than 13 percentage points in the 2020 election.
However, similar lawsuits could be filed in competitive states that Trump must win to prevail, and while none of those courts would be bound by the Colorado decision, judges will likely study it closely while reaching their own conclusions.
Voters and advocacy groups have sued to block Trump from the ballot in more than 12 states, but at least seven of them have failed for a variety of reasons.
Trump is the Republican frontrunner
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Courts in Michigan, New Hampshire and Florida have dismissed similar cases on procedural and jurisdictional grounds.
The Minnesota Supreme Court has also rejected a disqualification case.
Some rulings state that courts do not have the power to unilaterally disqualify candidates from ballots.
The decision in Colorado comes as the former president is already fighting other court battles over allegations of his role in the January 6th riots.
