Supreme Court Sides Against States Trying To Boot Trump From The Ballot

The 2024 presidential election is shaping up to be a rematch of 2020, but there are some unique issues yet to be settled. In a decision handed down on Monday, the U.S. Supreme Court took care of one such dispute.

Background on the case

A number of states have pursued various efforts to disqualify former President Donald Trump using the argument that he violated the so-called “insurrection clause” of the Constitution’s 14th Amendment with his actions ahead of the demonstration on Capitol Hill in early 2021.

Colorado’s Supreme Court ruled that Trump should be removed from the state’s ballot, and that decision was appealed all the way to the nation’s highest court. In oral arguments, both conservative and liberal justices expressed concerns about the state’s position.

In an unsigned ruling that did not include a dissenting opinion, the U.S. Supreme Court struck down the state court’s determination, finding that individual states do not have the authority to unilaterally disqualify a federal candidate.

Ramifications of the ruling

Not only did Monday’s decision stymie the Colorado effort, but it similarly shot down similar plans underway in Maine and Illinois.

As the justices wrote: “Because the Constitution makes Congress, rather than the states, responsible for enforcing section 3 [of the 14th Amendment] against all federal officeholders and candidates, we reverse.”

The ruling came just one day before Colorado’s primary election, though Trump’s name was already certified to appear on that ballot.

Jena Griswold, Colorado’s secretary of state and a supporter of the effort to disqualify Trump, said she was disappointed in the ruling and not optimistic about the likelihood that Congress will intervene.

The former president, who is expected to secure his third straight GOP presidential nomination, celebrated the decision in a social media post, writing: “Big win for America!!!”

Chris Agee March 5th, 2024

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