Utah politicians react to Supreme Court decision keeping Trump on Colorado ballot

On Monday, the U.S. Supreme Court reversed an earlier Colorado Supreme Court ruling that removed Donald Trump from the 2024 presidential ballot based on allegations of insurrection relating to Section 3 of the 14th Amendment.

The justices wrote, “We conclude that States may disqualify persons holding or attempting to hold state office. But States have no power under the Constitution to enforce Section 3 with respect to federal offices, especially the Presidency.”

While the decision was unanimous, the three liberal justices as well as Justice Amy Coney Barrett said they agreed with the outcome but not with all the arguments presented.

Barrett wrote, “In my judgment, this is not the time to amplify disagreement with stridency. The Court has settled a politically charged issue in the volatile season of a Presidential election ... For present purposes, our differences are far less important than our unanimity: All nine Justices agree on the outcome of this case. That is the message Americans should take home.”

How are Utah lawmakers reacting to the Supreme Court’s decision?

In the wake of the ruling, Gov. Spencer Cox, Sen. Mike Lee and Rep. Burgess Owens, among other lawmakers took to X, formerly known as Twitter, to respond.

Cox reacted to a tweet describing Trump’s legal win as a “terrible day for anyone who hates democracy” by quoting Barrett’s concurring opinion, encouraging an attitude of unity.

Lee responded to the news in a post to X, referring to the Colorado court’s original ruling as “The Colorado insurrection.” He later wrote in another post, “Q: How’d the Left lose this nine to zero? A: Because there are only nine justices.”

Owens, who represents Utah’s 4th District, celebrated the ruling in a post to X, calling it a “WIN for every American.”

What are other prominent figures saying about the Colorado ruling?

Heritage president Kevin Roberts, former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich, senior adviser to former President Trump Stephen Miller, Nikki Haley and Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold joined the Utah politicians in responding to the decision.

At a campaign rally in Spring, Texas, on Monday, Haley addressed the decision, telling the crowd “We don’t ever want some elected official in a state or anybody else saying who can and can’t be on the ballot. This is America. ... Look, I’ll defeat Donald Trump fair and square but I want him on that ballot,” per NewsNation.

Meanwhile, Griswold, who had supported removing Trump from the ballot, now says votes will be counted for Trump in Colorado.

“Ultimately, this decision leaves open the door for Congress to act, to pass authorizing legislation, but we know that Congress is a nearly non functioning body. So ultimately, it will be up to the American voters to save our democracy in November,” Griswold said in an interview on MSNBC in reaction to the Supreme Court’s ruling.