This is a surprise.
Republican contenders for the presidential race rallied behind Donald Trump on Tuesday following the Colorado Supreme Court’s decision to disqualify the former president from the state’s 2024 primary ballot. Notable figures such as former U.N. ambassador Nikki Haley, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, and former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie promptly expressed their disapproval of the court’s ruling, asserting that judicial interference in the electoral process was inappropriate.
Nikki Haley, emphasizing the importance of a fair competition, asserted, “I will beat him fair and square. We don’t need to have judges making these decisions. We need voters to make these decisions.” She stressed the need for voters to determine candidacy eligibility rather than relying on judicial interventions.
Governor Ron DeSantis strongly criticized the ruling, suggesting that the U.S. Supreme Court should overturn the decision. DeSantis criticized the Left’s invocation of “democracy” to justify their exercise of power, even if it meant manipulating judicial authority to exclude a candidate based on dubious legal grounds.
Chris Christie, a vocal critic of Trump, disagreed with the court’s decision, stating during a town hall event, “I do not believe Donald Trump should be prevented from being president of the United States by any court. I think he should be prevented from being president of the United States by the voters of this country.”
Entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, condemning the court’s decision, voiced concerns about the nation’s direction, saying it was “becoming unrecognizable to our Founding Fathers.” He pledged to withdraw from the Colorado Republican primary unless Trump was allowed to remain on the ballot, urging other major candidates to follow suit.
The lone dissenter among the Republican hopefuls was former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson, whose campaign faced consistent low polling. Hutchinson expressed concern about the court’s ruling, linking it to Trump’s alleged support for insurrection.
A spokesperson for the Trump campaign indicated their intention to appeal the Colorado ruling to the U.S. Supreme Court, expressing confidence that the higher court would rule in their favor. The spokesperson, Steven Cheung, stated, “We have full confidence that the U.S. Supreme Court will quickly rule in our favor and finally put an end to these unAmerican lawsuits.”
