Former President Donald Trump won an initial legal victory as the U.S. Supreme Court agreed to hear a case regarding whether or not he could be removed from Colorado’s primary election ballot.
The move followed two currently-successful efforts to remove the former president from their state’s Republican Party primary ballots, citing a clause in the 14th Amendment. Decisions by the Colorado Supreme Court and the Maine secretary of state argued that Trump supported ‘insurrection’ due to the Jan. 6, 2021 protest at the U.S. Capitol.
Trump’s legal team filed a suit with the Supreme Court opposing the measures, which the court agreed to hear, with arguments beginning on Feb. 8. Due to the fact that primary elections are starting this month, it is likely that the high court will return a decision relatively quickly.
Neither the Colorado nor Maine decisions have taken effect yet, pending legal appeal.
Separately, the Colorado Republican Party appealed its state court’s decision to the U.S. Supreme Court.
Trump and his legal team focused on the composure of the court, with three of the nine members having been appointed by the former president. Trump’s attorney Alina Habba expressed concern about whether the justices would “shy away from being pro-Trump.”
Trump separately said that all he asked of the court was that it is “fair.”
“I fought really hard to get three very, very good people in. They’re great people, very smart people. And I just hope they’re going to be fair because you know, the other side plays the ref,” he said.
JUST IN: Trump reacts to Supreme Court taking up Colorado case, “All I want is fair. I fought really hard to get 3 very, very good people in. They're great people, very smart people. And I just hope they're going to be fair because you know, the other side plays the ref.” WATCH pic.twitter.com/YCYoZY8h90
— Simon Ateba (@simonateba) January 6, 2024
Trump’s legal team requested the U.S. Supreme Court consider the question of whether or not the ‘insurrection’ language of the 14th Amendment can only be enforced by Congress. The former president’s legal team is also requesting the court’s opinion regarding whether or not he “engaged” in insurrection.
The president’s legal motion was supported by the attorneys general of 27 states via an amicus brief.
