Without mincing words, Trump's bid for the 2024 presidential primaries in Colorado took a hit when the state's Supreme Court declared him ineligible. The court made this call, citing the former President's role in the Capitol riot as a violation of the 14th Amendment. This particular amendment states that no individual can hold public office if they've participated in a "riot or insurrection" against the Constitution after taking the oath to defend it.
Trump's opponents were jubilant, claiming that his alleged involvement in the Capitol chaos disqualified him from another run for the White House. However, this wasn't the final word. The decision was put on hold until January 4, 2023, allowing for an eventual appeal at the U.S. Supreme Court. His supporters, as expected, showed a keen interest in taking up this appeal, hoping to overturn the Colorado Supreme Court's decision.
From a political standpoint, Trump has been a frontrunner in the race for the Republican nomination. He's been leading the polls by a substantial margin, making this development a significant setback. The Republican primaries were scheduled to kick off in mid-January 2023 in Iowa. The primary winner would go head-to-head against the incumbent, Joe Biden, in the presidential election in November 2024.
Now, a turn of events saw the U.S. Supreme Court stepping in. In a ruling on March 4, 2024, the court overturned the Colorado Supreme Court's decision, stating that states lack the power to remove Trump from the ballot without congressional action. This decision effectively ended efforts by multiple states to exclude Trump from the primaries, including Colorado, Illinois, and Maine.
Another case saw a dismissal by the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals. The court found that a challenge against Trump's eligibility under Section 3 of the 14th Amendment was moot, as he had already appeared on the ballot and won the Republican primary in New Mexico.
In the end, the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling effectively upheld Trump's eligibility to run in the 2024 presidential election, despite the Capitol storming allegations. And so, the political drama continued, unfolding in real-time as the race for the presidency heated up.
