Supreme Court Keeps Trump on 2024 Ballot, Overturning Colorado Ruling

The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday said states cannot bar former President Donald Trump from the ballot using a rarely invoked provision of the 14th Amendment, overturning a decision from Colorado’s top court and handing the GOP presidential front-runner a landmark victory in an unprecedented case that threatened to derail his quest for a second term in the White House

The Colorado Supreme Court had determined that Trump was ineligible for the presidency because of his conduct surrounding the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol. The Colorado court’s divided decision rested on the Section 3 of the 14th Amendment, known as the insurrection clause, which bars oath-taking insurrectionists from holding public office. The U.S. Supreme Court said only Congress can enforce the clause.

“Responsibility for enforcing Section 3 against federal officeholders and candidates rests with Congress and not the states,” the court said in its opinion. “The judgment of the Colorado Supreme Court therefore cannot stand.”