The Supreme Court of Colorado has ruled that former United States president Donald Trump will be disqualified from running for president in the state next year.
Trump is now the first presidential candidate in the history of the US to be banned from running for office.
On Tuesday, the Court ruled in favor of a group of voters in Colorado, who argued that Trump’s involvement in the 2021 January 6 riots in Washington D.C. made him ineligible to be on the ballot paper for the 2024 presidential election.
A legal action group in the US, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW), aided the voters to take the case to court. CREW’s President Noah Bookbinder said the court’s decision on Tuesday was a win for democracy.
“It is not only historic and justified, but is necessary to protect the future of democracy in our country,” Bookbinder said.
“Our Constitution clearly states that those who violate their oath by attacking our democracy are barred from serving in government.
“It has been an honor to represent the petitioners, and we look forward to ensuring that this vitally important ruling stands.”
Today's ruling is not only historic and justified, but is necessary to protect the future of democracy in our country.
— Citizens for Ethics (@CREWcrew) December 20, 2023
We couldn't be prouder of our role in making this happen. https://t.co/TI49fclwY5
The decision from Colorado’s Supreme Court will only affect the ballot paper in that state; that is, while Donald Trump can run for president in other states in America, he cannot in Colorado.
In the last four presidential elections, the state of Colorado has voted Democrat and has been widely regarded as a safe Democrat state.
This means that, whether Donald Trump is barred from running for president in the state or not, election predictors suggest Colorado will likely vote for a Democrat president anyway.
The Supreme Court’s decision also only applies to the primary election coming up on March 5. Voters in this election decide which presidential candidate will represent the Democrat and Republican parties.
However, the decision will likely impact how voters view Trump as a candidate for the president of the US in the general election, which will take place in November 2024.
Trump’s lawyers said they intend to appeal the decision. Meanwhile, the lawyers who represented the group of voters in Colorado hope other states follow suit and hope for the case to go all the way to the US Supreme Court.
The Capitol Hill riots
On January 6, Donald Trump spoke to a large crowd at Washington D.C., at a rally called “Save America”. Behind him, Congress was preparing to confirm the election results of the 2020 presidential election, which saw President Joe Biden win.
“We will never concede,” he said to the crow. “They rigged it like they’ve never rigged an election before…we won. We won in a landslide. This was a landslide.
“After this, we’re going to walk down and I’ll be there with you…you have to show strength, and you have to be strong.”
Following the rally, thousands of Trump supporters violently stormed the US Capitol building. Lawmakers inside the building were forced into lockdown and told to wear gas masks, as rioters released tear gas, smashing things inside and parts of the building along the way. Five people died during the protests.
Trump is facing charges in relation to the January 6 riots.