How does the Colorado ruling affect Mr. Trump's election campaign? 3
(Dan Tri) – American writers say it is too early to know the actual impact of the recent ruling to remove Mr. Trump’s name from the Colorado Supreme Court’s primary election ballot.
December 19 became an important day in American political history, when the Colorado Supreme Court ruled 4-3 that former President Trump had participated in an insurrection and was therefore removed as a candidate.
If upheld, the above ruling will prevent Mr. Trump from participating in the Republican primary vote in Colorado in 2024 because of his role in the January 6, 2021 insurrection.
The New York Times believes that it is too early to know the impact of the Colorado ruling on the race to the White House.
Former President Donald J. Trump campaigned in Waterloo, Iowa, in December (Photo: New York Times).
Has little impact if standing alone
The Colorado court’s December 19 ruling was assessed by New York Times and Washington Post writers as not having a major impact on the 2024 election.
First, if Mr. Trump’s name is only removed from Colorado’s primary election ballot, former President Trump can still win in the primaries of other states, thereby becoming a representative candidate.
In addition, because it has been a safe blue state – that is, a state that leans strongly toward the Democratic Party – in recent decades, Colorado has not been a competitive state in presidential elections.
President Biden himself beat Mr. Trump in this state by a margin of 13.5 percentage points in 2020. This number makes Colorado the 14th highest blue state, meaning that if Mr. Trump wins this state, it is very likely
But that doesn’t mean the Colorado Supreme Court’s decision isn’t noteworthy.
If upheld by the US Supreme Court, this ruling could set a precedent allowing other states, including more competitive ones, to make similar arguments and remove Mr. Trump’s name from the ballot.
Election officials review ballots during a press tour of the Denver Election Commission headquarters in Colorado in October 2016.
The Supreme Court will likely act urgently
The December 19 ruling does not take effect immediately.
The Colorado Supreme Court said that election officials in the state must certify the candidates appearing on the primary ballot by January 5, 2024, 60 days before the scheduled Super Tuesday primary.
The US Supreme Court may have to act quickly because in reality, election officials need time to print and send ballots to voters before the primary election.
If the Supreme Court accepts the case, the agency’s decision will likely determine not only Mr. Trump’s candidacy in the primary election in Colorado but in all 50 states.
Mr. Trump’s campaign confirmed that it will appeal.
Six of the current nine judges of the US Federal Supreme Court have conservative ideology.
A side effect of the December 19 ruling is that it could help Mr. Trump rally and consolidate his supporters, making them feel that the former President seems to be being targeted in a political battle.
In addition, on the campaign trail, Republican presidential candidates will be pressured to give their opinions on the legal troubles of Mr. Trump – who is still leading the primary election race.
