Another win for Trump.
In a unanimous decision, the U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that Colorado exceeded its authority by attempting to remove former President Donald Trump from the state’s ballot. The Court determined that only Congress, not individual states, has the authority to enforce Section 3 of the Fourteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.
The Colorado Supreme Court had previously ruled in December that Trump was ineligible to appear on the ballot for president, citing Section 3 of the Fourteenth Amendment. However, in the case of Trump v. Anderson, the U.S. Supreme Court, in a 9-0 decision, held that states lack the constitutional authority to enforce Section 3 with regard to federal offices, particularly the presidency.
The Court’s opinion stated, “States may disqualify persons holding or seeking state office, but they do not have the power to enforce Section 3 in relation to federal offices, including the Presidency.” It emphasized that neither the respondents nor the Constitution itself grant states the power to remove federal officeholders who may be violating Section 3.
Supreme Court Justices Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan, and Ketanji Brown Jackson concurred with the decision but expressed concerns about the potential chaos and inconsistency that could arise from allowing states to remove candidates from ballots. However, they disagreed with the majority’s position that only Congress could enforce disqualifications under the Fourteenth Amendment, urging a more nuanced approach.
The Colorado Supreme Court’s decision, which barred Trump from appearing on the state’s 2024 election ballot due to his alleged involvement in the January 6, 2021, U.S. Capitol riot, was based on Section 3 of the Fourteenth Amendment. This section prohibits individuals who have engaged in insurrection or rebellion against the United States from holding public office.
While the majority opinion of the Colorado Supreme Court reasoned that Trump’s actions met the criteria outlined in Section 3, Chief Justice Brian Boatwright dissented, arguing that the court had overstepped its bounds and lacked sufficient evidence to conclude that Trump had engaged in insurrection.
Trump, who is considered the frontrunner for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, appealed the Colorado Supreme Court’s decision to the U.S. Supreme Court, which ultimately ruled in his favor. During oral arguments, several justices expressed concerns about the potential implications of allowing states to enforce the Fourteenth Amendment and its impact on interstate relations.
