The state of Colorado cannot remove former President Donald Trump from the primary ballot ahead of the U.S. presidential election in November, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled on March 4.
The highest court in Colorado ruled in December that Trump should be removed from the ballot in the state, basing their decision on the U.S. Constitution's 14th Amendment's ban on insurrectionists.
The 14th Amendment is from the Civil War era and says officials can't run for office if they "engaged in insurrection," a phrase used to describe Confederate leaders and soldiers, but has only been applied twice in the 20th century and does not mention the presidency.
Trump's team said they would contest the decision and file an appeal with the Supreme Court.
Colorado is considered a blue state that Democratic Party candidates have won consistently in the 21st century. All seven judges serving on the Colorado Supreme Court received their appointment from Democratic Party state governors.
A similar decision was made in Maine on Dec. 29, when the election chief disqualified Trump from the state's presidential primary ballot. Trump's team similarly said they would contest the decision in court.
Primaries will be held in 15 states on March 5 in what is known in the U.S. as "Super Tuesday." Trump is expected to further cement his status as the front-runner in the campaign to become the Republican candidate for the presidency.
Nate Ostiller
