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The Colorado Supreme Court issued a ruling Tuesday night that barred Donald Trump from appearing on the primary ballot in the 2024 election, a shock move that even NBC News described as a “political gift” to the former president.
In a 4-3 decision, the court ruled that Trump engaged in an insurrection and is thus disqualified for running for office under the Fourteenth Amendment. The Fourteenth Amendment contains a clause that states anyone who takes an oath “as an officer of the United States” and engages in “insurrection or rebellion” cannot hold civil or military office in the US. The section was written with the intention of barring Confederate leaders from returning to public office. A judge in a lower court in Colorado had previously decided that although Trump had incited an insurrection against the US Capitol, he, as president, could not be considered an “officer.”
Trump has not been charged with rebellion or insurrection in Special Counsel Jack Smith’s January 6 case — nor, obviously, has he been convicted of such. The Colorado Supreme Court’s decision has been panned by conservatives and Trump critics alike for putting its finger on the scale of a democratic process. Especially since the US Supreme Court seems poised to overturn the decision by January 5, the deadline for Colorado to print its primary ballots.
“What I will say is I do not believe Donald Trump should be prevented from being president of the United States, by any court. I think he should be prevented from being the president of the United States by the voters of this country,” former New Jersey governor Chris Christie said.
“For the biggest Trump haters, this Colorado ruling is like getting drunk at your office Christmas Party. Seemed like a fun idea on Friday night but you will really regret it on Monday morning,” said Scott Jennings, a GOP strategist and CNN contributor.
Colorado may not be the last place to try removing Trump from the ballot, though. A couple of weeks ago Maine secretary of state’s office held an eight-hour meeting to discuss the prospect of barring Trump, and the secretary of state, Shenna Bellows, says she expects to rule on the issue by this Friday. Bellows is a former ACLU executive, worked for pro-same-sex marriage, voting rights and pro-choice groups and previously served as a Democratic state senator — to be blunt, clearly not a fan of the former president. In addition to the debate over Trump’s alleged misconduct in January 2021, questions have been raised as to whether Bellows has the unilateral authority to make decisions about who appears on the primary ballot. Keep your eye on Maine for what’s next in this saga.
-Amber Duke
Our our radar
CHIP DIP Trump surrogates are turning on Republican congressman Chip Roy after the Texas representative said that the former president “hangs out in his basement in Florida” and is “afraid to debate.”
INDEBTED Nearly 9 million student loan borrowers missed the first payment they were meant to make after the Department of Education ended its pandemic pause on student loan collection.
MONEY FOR NOTHING The Biden administration is handing out $600 million to social and environmental justice groups to advance climate “equity.” The money is part of a program created by the Inflation Reduction Act.
Sarsour storms Congress
A group of activists teamed up with former Women’s March chair Linda Sarsour to take the Capitol by storm this week, insisting Israel surrender to the demands of Hamas terrorists just steps from Speaker Mike Johnson’s office. The mob shrieked that Congress was supporting a “genocide” and forty were arrested for illegally protesting in the Capitol rotunda.
The groups leading the charge included Jews for Racial and Economic Justice and the US Campaign for Palestinian Rights, groups closely tied to the Boycott, Divest, and Sanctions movement, which advocates for the effective eradication of the Jewish state of Israel. Sarsour herself also draws regular fire from across the political spectrum for her opposition to the existence of any Jewish state.
The coalition of intersectional allies at the Capitol has also condemned America’s push to secure its own border, which is quite on the button as they simultaneously reject Israel’s right to defend itself from another October 7 by its homicidal southern neighbors.
Beyond their screaming, Palestinian activists also vandalized the Lincoln Memorial — because doing so would further their alleged goals of Palestinian liberation, no doubt.
–Matthew Foldi
Biden’s prison swap
A senior Biden official announced Wednesday that his administration would bring home ten American prisoners being held in Venezuela in exchange for the return of a close ally of President Nicolás Maduro. Six of the released Americans were considered unlawfully detained, while the four others were not. Fat Leonard, for example, a detainee who participated in one of the largest US Navy corruption scandals in history, will be returned to the US but placed in a federal detention facility.
The Maduro ally is Colombian-born businessman Alex Saab, who was charged in the US with money laundering.
Biden may have unintentionally tipped off news of the swap earlier in the day. When asked if the press should expect a “hostage deal” with Hamas any time soon, Biden replied “yes” before clarifying, “Wait. Where?”
–Cockburn
From the site
Amber Duke: Can Ronna McDaniel survive calls for her resignation?
Charles Lipson: Trump off the ballot?
