Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who is vying for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, has refused to comply with fellow presidential contender Vivek Ramaswamy’s plea to withdraw from the primary ballot in Colorado following the state Supreme Court’s decision to bar former President Donald Trump from the ballot.
Ramaswamy decried the Colorado Supreme Court’s recent 4-3 ruling, which marked the first time in U.S. history that a candidate was disqualified from seeking the presidency. He vowed to withdraw from the GOP primary ballot in Colorado, urging DeSantis, Chris Christie, and Nikki Haley to do the same.
In response, DeSantis addressed Ramaswamy’s request during a Wednesday interview on Newsmax, dismissing it as “playing into the left.” He expressed confidence that the U.S. Supreme Court will overturn the Colorado Supreme Court’s “political” decision and rejected Ramaswamy’s call to withdraw, emphasizing that he has qualified for all ballots and is determined to amass the required delegates.
Trump’s legal team has announced plans to appeal the Colorado court’s decision to the U.S. Supreme Court, with the former president’s legal spokesperson, Alina Habba, asserting that they believe the verdict will be overturned.
The Colorado Supreme Court’s ruling on December 19 was based on the disqualification clause in the 14th Amendment, which states that candidates who have engaged in “insurrection or rebellion” are prohibited from holding office. The decision stemmed from a lawsuit filed by Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) against the Colorado Secretary of State.
Judge Sarah Wallace, in a detailed ruling, found that the U.S. president is considered a public “officer,” and therefore subject to the 14th Amendment’s disqualification clause. This unprecedented ruling makes Colorado the only state to disqualify Trump from appearing on a state primary ballot and marks the first time a candidate has been barred from running for the White House.
In addition to DeSantis and Ramaswamy, other contenders for the Republican nomination, including Nikki Haley and Chris Christie, criticized the court’s decision, emphasizing the need for voters to have the final say on Trump’s candidacy. Independent presidential candidate Robert Kennedy Jr. also condemned the ruling as contrary to democratic norms and values.
Meanwhile, CREW welcomed the outcome and called for continued support to fund its legal battle against Trump’s appeal to the nation’s highest court, underscoring the significance of their victory and the ongoing efforts to uphold the court’s decision.
