GOP Calls Colorado Court Ruling to Remove Trump From Primary Ballot ‘Political Decision’
Senator Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) criticized the decision by the Colorado Supreme Court to remove former President Donald Trump from the state’s primary ballot, calling it a “political decision” that is not based in law. Graham appeared on ABC News’ “This Week” on Dec. 24 and accused Democrats of harboring hatred toward Trump, saying that the ruling “is chilling” and “it would set up a politicization of the presidential races. It would be bad for the country.”
The court’s 4–3 decision on Dec. 19 stated that Trump violated Section 3 of the 14th Amendment, which prohibits certain individuals from holding public office if they have engaged in an “insurrection or rebellion,” as a result of his alleged role in the Jan. 6 Capitol breach. Graham said the ruling had “no constitutional basis” and believed it would easily be overturned by the U.S. Supreme Court. He also predicted that Trump would eventually be on the ballot in Colorado and win the primary.
The ruling received criticism from other prominent Republicans as well. Senator Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) told Fox News that the decision reflects how “radical leftism has infiltrated every institution” in the United States. GOP presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy condemned the court’s decision, vowing to withdraw his name from the Republican primary ballot in Colorado, and former Attorney General Bill Barr said that the U.S. Supreme Court should strike down the ruling.
Colorado became the only state to order Trump’s removal from its primary ballot with the Dec. 19 ruling. The Colorado Supreme Court put its decision on hold until Jan. 4, just a day before the secretary of state’s deadline to certify the content of Colorado’s presidential primary ballot, giving President Trump’s legal team time to seek a review from the U.S. Supreme Court. Trump campaign spokesperson Steven Cheung pledged to “swiftly file an appeal” to the nation’s highest court.
In response to the ruling, the Colorado Republican Party announced that it would consider switching from a ballot to a caucus system if President Trump is kept off the ballot. Republican state Rep. Dave Williams, chairman of the Colorado GOP, told CNN that the party would “withdraw from the primary and go to a strict caucus process that would allow our voters to choose Donald Trump.”
The decision from the Colorado Supreme Court has set the stage for a potential legal battle at the U.S. Supreme Court, where Trump and his supporters hope to have the ruling overturned. With the certification deadline looming, the outcome of this legal showdown will have a significant impact on Colorado’s primary ballot for the 2024 election.
Given the high stakes and the strong reactions from Republicans, it’s evident that the debate over Trump’s eligibility to appear on the primary ballot will continue to be a contentious issue as the 2024 election cycle unfolds. It remains to be seen how the legal process will play out in the coming weeks and whether President Trump’s name will ultimately appear on the ballot in Colorado.
