Trump asks US Supreme Court to overturn Colorado ruling removing him from ballot

Donald Trump has formally asked the US Supreme Court to overturn the Colorado state Supreme Court ruling that removed him from the state’s 2024 ballot under the 14th Amendment’s “insurrectionist clause.”, CNN reported. 

In our system of ‘government of the people, by the people, [and] for the people,’ Colorado’s ruling is not and cannot be correct,” attorneys for the former president wrote in the filing with the court, which was obtained by CNN.

The Supreme Court is facing mounting pressure to settle the question of whether Trump, the front-runner for the GOP presidential nomination, can be disqualified from holding public office, as state courts and election officials have come to differing conclusions across the country. The first contests of the 2024 primary begin in weeks.

The high court is separately involved in other matters that could impact the federal criminal case against the former president.

Trump’s appeal comes nearly a week after the Colorado GOP, which is also a party in the case, filed a separate appeal, and two weeks after the Colorado ruling came down. The ruling has been put on hold while appeals play out and Colorado’s top election official has already made clear that Trump’s name will be included on the state’s primary ballot when it’s certified on January 5 – unless the US Supreme Court says otherwise.

But it’s unlikely the high court would resolve the case as quickly as this week. If the justices do take up the case and conclude Trump is ineligible for public office, then any votes cast for him wouldn’t count. The state’s primary is set for Super Tuesday on March 5.

Eric Olson, one of the Colorado attorneys arguing against Trump’s eligibility, said on CNN’s “The Source” that he expects the Supreme Court will take up the case and is “optimistic” that the justices will see that “there really isn’t a close case here.”

“I think this court has shown a willingness to step aside from sort of the partisan frame on these hard issues that are important to our democracy,” Olson said.