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Friday, Sep 11, 2026
Outside the box.
US supreme court appears skeptical of Colorado ruling removing Trump from ballot
The US Supreme Court expressed doubt over Colorado's ruling to remove Donald Trump from the state's primary ballot, signaling they may rule him eligible to run for president.
This decision emerged as the justices questioned the implications of states having the power to disqualify candidates based on alleged insurrection.
During the hearing, Chief Justice John Roberts and liberal Justices Elena Kagan and Ketanji Brown Jackson highlighted potential chaos if states could individually determine candidates' eligibility, possibly leaving only a few states to decide the election outcome.
The case, stemming from a lawsuit by Colorado voters citing the 14th Amendment, asserts that Trump is ineligible due to his involvement in the January 6 Capitol incident.
The Colorado Supreme Court ruled to bar him from the ballot, but the national Supreme Court appears likely to overrule this decision, despite a conservative-leaning bench that includes three Trump appointees.
Trump's legal team has argued that blocking him would cause electoral chaos, stating that the presidency is exempt from the "officer" classification and denying involvement in an insurrection. Conversely, the plaintiffs, supported by the organization CREW, warn it would threaten democracy to allow Trump to run again.
A Supreme Court decision supporting Colorado's exclusion would not automatically disqualify Trump nationwide, but it would likely prompt a wave of challenges to his eligibility.
The case represents the most significant Court intervention in an election since Bush v Gore in 2000, arriving at a time when public trust in the Court wanes. The final ruling, whether procedural or definitive about Trump's eligibility, could have consequential impacts post-election.
During the hearing, Chief Justice John Roberts and liberal Justices Elena Kagan and Ketanji Brown Jackson highlighted potential chaos if states could individually determine candidates' eligibility, possibly leaving only a few states to decide the election outcome.
The case, stemming from a lawsuit by Colorado voters citing the 14th Amendment, asserts that Trump is ineligible due to his involvement in the January 6 Capitol incident.
The Colorado Supreme Court ruled to bar him from the ballot, but the national Supreme Court appears likely to overrule this decision, despite a conservative-leaning bench that includes three Trump appointees.
Trump's legal team has argued that blocking him would cause electoral chaos, stating that the presidency is exempt from the "officer" classification and denying involvement in an insurrection. Conversely, the plaintiffs, supported by the organization CREW, warn it would threaten democracy to allow Trump to run again.
A Supreme Court decision supporting Colorado's exclusion would not automatically disqualify Trump nationwide, but it would likely prompt a wave of challenges to his eligibility.
The case represents the most significant Court intervention in an election since Bush v Gore in 2000, arriving at a time when public trust in the Court wanes. The final ruling, whether procedural or definitive about Trump's eligibility, could have consequential impacts post-election.