The Supreme Court on Monday upheld Trump’s challenge to another court’s decision. Trump was actually excluded from the primary election in Colorado because of his role in the storming of the Capitol in January 2021.
The court’s decision is a great success for Trump – but no surprise. At a hearing at the beginning of February it was already indicated that the nine judges would decide in his favor.
Decision with historical dimensions
For many experts, the Supreme Court’s decision had a historical dimension even before the actual verdict, because the judge’s ruling has a direct influence on the course of the presidential election. The decision was made immediately before “Super Tuesday” – thus the court provided clarity before the important election day. On Tuesday, Republicans and Democrats will hold party primaries in more than a dozen US states – including Colorado.
Trump wants to run again for the Republicans in the US presidential election at the beginning of November. Anyone who wants to run as a presidential candidate must prevail in internal party primaries. Plaintiffs have been trying for some time in various states to prevent Trump from participating in the primaries and to have the 77-year-old’s name removed from ballot papers.
Supporters incited to storm the Capitol
The background to the dispute is the attack on the US parliament building almost exactly three years ago. Trump supporters violently stormed the Capitol in Washington on January 6, 2021. Congress met there to formally confirm Democrat Joe Biden’s victory in the 2020 presidential election.
Trump had previously incited his supporters during a speech with unsubstantiated claims that the election victory had been stolen from him through massive fraud. Trump’s opponents are of the opinion that Trump should not be allowed to move into the White House again because of his behavior after the 2020 election. They argue with the insurrection clause in the Constitution. It basically means that no one who has previously taken part in an uprising against the state as an official may hold a higher office in the state. Although some examples of such higher offices are given in the passage, the office of president is not explicitly mentioned.
Explosive verdict in December
An explosive verdict in December got the ball rolling. The highest court in the US state of Colorado ruled that former President Trump was disqualified from the Republican primary for the presidential nomination in the state because of his role in the storming of the US Capitol. Trump appealed. The judgment was suspended until the issue was finally resolved. The case ultimately ended up in the highest court in the USA. Similar decisions were made in the US states of Maine and Illinois.
At the hearing a few weeks ago, the Supreme Court justices listened to arguments from both sides. They appeared skeptical about expelling Trump from the highest office in the state and seemed open to the arguments of Trump’s lawyer.
The Supreme Court is currently dealing with another case, but it has nothing to do with the question of the ballot paper. The court wants to clarify whether former presidents are protected from prosecution for actions while in office. The background is the criminal trial against Trump in Washington for attempted election fraud. A hearing before the US Supreme Court is scheduled for the end of April.
