Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold announced on Thursday afternoon that Trump will remain on the state’s ballot unless the Supreme Court affirms the state-level high court’s ruling that disqualified him from being on the ballot.
“Donald Trump engaged in insurrection and was disqualified under the Constitution from the Colorado Ballot,” Griswold said in a press release, according to the Daily Mail.
“The Colorado Supreme Court got it right. This decision is now being appealed,” she continued. “I urge the US Supreme Court to act quickly given the upcoming presidential primary election.”
The Colorado Supreme Court ruled 4-3 earlier this month that Trump was disqualified from appearing on the primary ballot but to violations of the 14th Amendment.
On Thursday morning, the Colorado Republican Party urged the Supreme Court of the United States to intervene in the case.
“By excluding President Trump from the ballot, the Colorado Supreme Court engaged in an unprecedented disregard for the First Amendment right of political parties to select the candidates of their choice and a usurpation of the rights of the people to choose their elected officials,” attorneys for the state GOP said in their petition.
Colorado’s ballots go to print on January 5.
More at:
California’s Democratic secretary of state REFUSES to remove Trump from the ballot as Maine counterpart disqualifies him over January 6
California‘s top election official issued her list of approved candidates for party primaries on Thursday evening, complete with the name of former President Donald Trump.
It meant Democrat Shirley Weber shrugged off pressure from activists and some state officials to exclude Trump on the grounds that he was guilty of ‘insurrection’ for his actions in the run-up to the Jan. 6 attack on Congress.
She made her decision as the question roils other states and divides Democrats.
On Thursday evening, Maine followed Colorado in saying Trump was not eligible to stand, although those rulings are on hold amid legal challenges.
In California, the state’s lieutenant governor last week urged Weber to do the same.
‘I am prompted by the Colorado Supreme Court‘s recent ruling that former President Donald Trump is ineligible to appear on the state’s ballot as a presidential candidate due to his role in inciting an insurrection in the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021,’ wrote Eleni Kounalakis.
‘This decision is about honoring the rule of law in our country and protecting the fundamental pillars of our democracy.’
Several senior Democrats added their voices to her demand, although Gov. Gavin Newsom said the question of Trump’s fitness for office should be left to voters.
California is the nation’s most populous state.
Although its electoral college votes are certain to go to the Democratic candidate in the presidential election, excluding Trump from the March 5 primary could eat into his lead over Republican rivals in the race for the nomination.
In the end, Weber included his name on her certified list of candidates.
She did not offer any explanation for how she reached that decision.
More at:
Turley: January 6 Wasn’t Insurrection or Rebellion — 14th Amendment Doesn’t Apply
Thursday on FNC’s “The Story,” network contributor Jonathan Turley questioned the merits of the Colorado Supreme Court’s decision to bar former President Donald Trump from the 2024 primary election ballot.
According to Turley, the 14th Amendment didn’t apply because January 6 was a riot, not an insurrection.
“It’s nonsense,” he said. “I mean, first of all, there’s really interesting analogies to go to Bush v. Gore, you know, a little over 20 years ago, they had another 4-3 decision by another state Supreme Court. And what the court did is they were uncomfortable with the ambiguous standards being used by Florida. This is even more so. When I read the 14th Amendment, I see the words insurrection or rebellion. This was neither. This was a riot. Most people in the public can see it that way. But it’s also not clear that this applies to the office of the presidency. They go through and they enumerate offices that notably does not include the presidency. So there’s a number of elements here that could result in this being overturned, as I expect it will be.”
“In order to get to this spot, these four justices had to adopt the most sweeping interpretations at every point in order to make this actually work,” he continued. “But I think it’s going to collapse in from the Supreme Court. And many of us are hoping that they do speak with one voice, that they speak with a voice for all of us, with the exception of what the people that you’ve just played, that you hear, particularly on other networks. Very few citizens are celebrating this, it’s the same core that has always celebrated every effort to bag Trump. And I’m not saying that they’re wrong in their criticism of Trump. What I’m saying is they’re wrong in their means. If you want to defend democracy, practice democracy, and that’s what’s the disconnect that’s happening here.”
More at:
More Stories
Ban on ‘deceptive’ mask wearing pushed after violent campus takeovers by cloaked agitators
Riot cops finally smash through UCLA Gaza encampment barricades as they clash with huge crowds of pro-Palestine protesters in another night of violence on campus
Police Clear Out Illegal Encampment at UCLA – Hundreds of Protesters Arrested – Muslims Gather on Campus for Islamic Prayer