A Colorado judge has ruled that former President Donald Trump can remain on the state’s ballot for the 2024 presidential election.
The ruling comes in a lawsuit filed by a group of voters who argued that Trump should be disqualified from running for office because he incited the January 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol.
In her ruling, Judge Sarah B. Wallace found that Trump’s actions on January 6 were “disgraceful” but did not meet the legal standard for disqualification under the 14th Amendment.
The 14th Amendment states that no person “shall be a Senator or Representative in Congress, or elector of President and Vice President, or hold any office, civil or military, under the United States, or under any State, who, having previously taken an Oath as a Member of Congress, or as an officer of the United States, or as a member of any State legislature, or as an executive or judicial officer of any State, to support the Constitution of the United States, shall have engaged in insurrection or rebellion against the same, or given aid or comfort to the enemies thereof.”
Wallace found that Trump’s actions did not rise to the level of “insurrection” under the 14th Amendment. She wrote:
“While Trump’s actions were certainly incitement, they did not amount to ‘insurrection’ in the legal sense. The evidence presented at trial suggests that Trump’s goal was to persuade Congress to overturn the results of the 2020 election, not to overthrow the government. While his actions were undoubtedly harmful, they did not meet the legal standard for disqualification under the 14th Amendment.”
The plaintiffs in the lawsuit have vowed to appeal the ruling.
Trump’s lawyers have argued that the lawsuit is a politically motivated attempt to keep him off the ballot.
The ruling is a significant victory for Trump, who is seen as the leading Republican candidate for president in 2024.
It is unclear whether Trump will ultimately win the Republican nomination, but he remains a popular figure among Republican voters.
The ruling is also a setback for Democrats, who had hoped to block Trump from running for president again.
Democrats are concerned that Trump’s candidacy would be a major distraction from President Joe Biden’s re-election campaign.
It is possible that Trump’s candidacy could also help to mobilize Democrats and turn out voters in the 2024 election.
The ruling is likely to have a major impact on the 2024 presidential election.
It is too early to say what the ultimate outcome of the election will be, but Trump’s candidacy is sure to make the race more competitive.