A group of Colorado voters has taken their case to the Supreme Court, alleging that Donald Trump engaged in insurrection by inciting the January 6 Capitol riot.
This case holds profound implications for Trump’s potential bid to reclaim the White House.
In a filing on Friday, the voters argued that the Capitol riot was premeditated and had a clear purpose: “to obstruct the counting of electoral votes as set out in the Twelfth Amendment” and “to prevent the execution of the Constitution so that Trump remained the President.”
A recent survey by ABC News/Ipsos revealed divided opinion on whether Trump should be allowed to run again. While 30% of participants favor a Supreme Court-enforced nationwide ban on Trump’s candidacy, 26% prefer leaving the decision to state-level election authorities. In contrast, 39% believe Trump should be included on all state ballots.
Also Read: Should Donald Trump Face Criminal Charges Over Insurrection? Most Americans Think So: Poll
In their filing, the voters argued that Trump is attempting to circumvent the constitutional clause barring insurrectionists from office, Bloomberg reported.
The Colorado Supreme Court previously ruled that this provision disqualifies Trump from appearing on the state’s presidential election ballot, citing his efforts to overturn his 2020 loss to Joe Biden.
“Nobody, not even a former President, is above the law. This Court should affirm,” the filing added.
Trump, currently the Republican frontrunner, appealed to the Supreme Court to reverse the Colorado decision, claiming he did not participate in insurrection and asserting that the clause doesn’t pertain to presidents. He warned that preventing his candidacy would unleash “chaos and bedlam” if successful.
Represented by the advocacy group Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics, the voters criticized Trump’s warning, characterizing it as a not-so-subtle threat. According to the report, they stated, “We already saw the ‘bedlam’ Trump unleashed when he was on the ballot and lost.”
A Supreme Court ruling favoring Trump would thwart the effort to exclude him from ballots nationwide, but an adverse decision would intensify that campaign, the Bloomberg report said.
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This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
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