U.S. Supreme Court takes up Colorado ruling barring Trump from 2024 ballot
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Republican presidential candidate former President Trump at a campaign event in Ankeny, Iowa, earlier this month. Photo: Scott Olson/Getty Images
The U.S. Supreme Court agreed on Friday to hear former President Trump's appeal against a decision by Colorado's highest court to remove the Republican presidential primary front-runner from the state's 2024 ballot.
Why it matters: The Colorado Supreme Court was the first to find that the 14th Amendment's insurrection clause applies to Trump in relation to his actions surrounding the Jan. 6 Capitol riot – one of roughly three dozen legal challenges across the U.S. seeking to remove him from the ballot.
Driving the news: The U.S. Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in the case on Feb. 8, per court filings.
- That's the same day as Nevada's GOP presidential caucus.
Of note: Trump appointed three of the nine Supreme Court justices, though they have ruled against him in the past.
Catch up quick: Colorado's Supreme Court ruled earlier this month that Trump can't appear on the state's ballots in next year's presidential election.
- The court stayed the ruling from taking effect until Jan. 4, "subject to further appellate proceedings."
- Trump's campaign said in response that the former president's team will file an appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court.
What they're saying: Trump campaign spokesperson Steven Cheung told Axios in an emailed statement Friday: "We are confident that the fair-minded Supreme Court will unanimously affirm the civil rights of President Trump, and the voting rights of all Americans in a ruling that will squash all of the remaining ballot challenge hoaxes once and for all."
- Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold urged the high court Friday to prioritize the case and issue a ruling as soon as possible.
- "Coloradans, and the American people, deserve clarity on whether someone who engaged in insurrection may run for the country's highest office," Griswold said in a statement.
Of note: The Colorado Republican Party urged the Supreme Court in a December petition to overturn the Colorado ruling and allow Trump's name to appear on the ballot, arguing that the Colorado Supreme Court's decision had "irreparably harmed" the Republican party.
- Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), a member of Senate GOP leadership, recently introduced legislation aimed at punishing states that rule to disqualify Trump from the ballot, Axios' Andrew Solender reported.
- The three-page bill would, among other things, clarify that the Supreme Court has "sole jurisdiction" to adjudicate such 14th Amendment cases.
- In late December, the Michigan Supreme Court rejected a bid to remove Trump from the 2024 primary ballot, upholding a lower court ruling.
Go deeper: SCOTUS takes up Jan. 6 case that may affect Trump prosecution
Editor's note: This story has been updated with additional details throughout.
