Trump appeals Colorado ballot ban to US Supreme Court

Former President Donald Trump has asked the United States Supreme Court to keep his name on the Colorado ballot.

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Trump is asking the U.S. Supreme Court to review Colorado’s ruling barring him from the ballot due to the insurrection clause in the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, according to The Associated Press.

Trump’s attorney filed an appeal to the 4-3 ruling made by the Colorado Supreme Court in December, according to the AP. It was the first time in history that Section 3 of the 14th Amendment was used to have a presidential contender barred from the ballot.

Section 3 of the 14th Amendment was adopted after the Civil War, according to the New York Times. It bars people who had taken an oath “to support the Constitution of the United States” and not hold office if they have “engaged in insurrection or rebellion against the same, or given aid or comfort to the enemies thereof.”

Congress can remove the provision but only by a two-thirds vote in each of the chambers.

The Colorado Supreme Court found that Trump’s role in the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol disqualifies him under the insurrection clause, the AP reported. The provision was reportedly used very “sparingly in American history” that even the U.S. Supreme Court has never made a ruling on it.

This move adds pressure for the U.S. Supreme to act. According to the Times, there are multiple challenges against Trump’s eligibility and there’s a need for a resolution from the court as the primaries are approaching.

Wednesday’s appeal comes a day after Trump’s legal team appealed Maine’s decision to bar him from the state’s ballot. Maine’s Democratic Secretary of State, Shenna Bellows ruled that Trump was ineligible to appear on the ballot for his role in the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol, the AP reported.

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