Colorado politicians respond to Supreme Court ruling keeping Trump on ballot
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DENVER (KDVR) – On Monday morning, local politicians responded to the ruling that keeps Trump on the Colorado ballot.
Just minutes after the Supreme Court announced its decision, Trump posted on his social media:
Republicans dominate early voting numbers in Colorado
“BIG WIN FOR AMERICA!!!” Trump posted on Truth Social.
Meanwhile, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, the group that filed a petition arguing Trump violated the “insurrection” clause of the U.S. Constitution and is therefore ineligible to be on Colorado ballots, released a statement in response to the ruling:
While the Supreme Court allowed Donald Trump back on the ballot on technical legal grounds, this was in no way a win for Trump. The Supreme Court had the opportunity in this case to exonerate Trump, and they chose not to do so. Every court–or decision-making body–that has substantively examined the issue has determined that January 6th was an insurrection and that Donald Trump incited it. That remains true today. The Supreme Court removed an enforcement mechanism, and in letting Trump back on the ballot, they failed to meet the moment. But it is now clear that Trump led the January 6th insurrection, and it will be up to the American people to ensure accountability.
Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington
Meanwhile, President Joe Biden’s campaign said efforts to keep him off the ballot weren’t part of its strategy to defeat Trump.
“We don’t really care,” Quentin Fulks, principal deputy campaign manager, said on MSNBC. “Our focus since day one of launching this campaign has been to defeat Donald Trump at the ballot box.”
Colorado politicians responded to the breaking news on Monday.
Politicians respond to the ruling
Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold also posted on X just minutes after the Monday morning decision.
“I am disappointed in the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision stripping states of the authority to enforce Section 3 of the 14th Amendment for federal candidates. Colorado should be able to bar oath-breaking insurrections from our ballot,” tweeted Griswold.
Griswold was relieved for the sake of clarity, but she told FOX31’s Gabrielle Franklin she is disappointed with the outcome and believes states should have the power to enforce that constitutional amendment.
“I think it’s great they actually issued a decision,” Griswold said. “As of Thursday night, over 400,000 ballots were already cast in the Republican presidential primary. Coloradans and Americans all across the country deserve to know whether Donald Trump is a qualified candidate. With that said, I am disappointed, and I disagree with their decision. But of course, like I’ve always said from the beginning, I will follow it.”
U.S. Rep. Lauren Bobert had a different opinion.
“Vindication at last. President Trump will remain on the Colorado ballot. The SCOTUS has made their ruling official. Yet another swing and miss from the looney left. TRUMP 2024,” tweeted Boebert.
Boebert responded to Griswold’s tweet, stating that the secretary of state should be “recalled.”
The Colorado Secretary of State’s Office released the latest numbers on voter turnout as of Feb. 29.
The Colorado Democratic Party also released a statement:
Coloradans believe no president is above the law. We’ve been preparing to defeat Donald Trump and his allies this fall by putting organizers on the ground everywhere across Colorado earlier than ever and earning votes. Meanwhile, Colorado Republican leadership is pocketing hard-earned donor money and filing lawsuits to disenfranchise unaffiliated voters. The difference couldn’t be clearer, and we’re confident that voters will agree this fall.
Colorado Democratic Party Chair Shad Murib
Social media was flooded with responses as well. On X, “14th amendment,” “Section 3,” “unanimous” and “Colorado Supreme Court” were trending in the top 20 in the U.S. as of Monday morning.
Joshua Wilson, University of Denver chair of political science, said the decision shows the Supreme Court is leaving questions about the former president’s role in the attack on the capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, for a later date.
“They came to the ruling completely out of not talking about state power and federal power. They never touched the issue of: Was there an insurrection? And so forth. And the immunity question is going to move them closer to that issue,” Wilson said.
That immunity case is set to be heard by the high court next month.
Super Tuesday: March 5 is the last day to vote in Colorado
There’s still time to vote in the primary election. While Colorado is no longer accepting mail-in ballots as of Feb. 26, you can still drop off your ballot at a local dropbox.
The Colorado Secretary of State’s Office released the latest numbers on voter turnout as of Feb. 29. So far, Republicans have outnumbered Democratic votes by over 100,000 votes.
Colorado is one state that votes on Super Tuesday, which is the last day Coloradans can vote for the primary elections.
For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX31 Denver.
