US Supreme Court restores Trump to Colorado ballot

The US Supreme Court on Monday unanimously overturned a decision to exclude Donald Trump from the Republican presidential primary in the state of Colorado.

"The judgment of the Colorado Supreme Court, therefore, cannot stand. All nine Members of the Court agree with that result," the Supreme Court said in its ruling.

The verdict of the highest court in the United States ends efforts in Colorado, Illinois, Maine and elsewhere to keep Trump off the ballot.

Why was Trump removed from the ballot?

Trump was previously excluded from the ballot under a constitutional provision involving insurrection for inciting the January 6 Capitol attack in 2021.

But the justices ruled that states cannot invoke a post-Civil War constitutional provision to prevent presidential candidates from appearing on ballots. The court said this power resided with Congress.

'Big win for America,' says Trump

Shortly after the announcement, Trump took to his website, Truth Social, to describe the decision as a "big win" for the United States.

Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold said she was "disappointed in the US Supreme Court's decision" to strip states of the "authority to enforce Section 3 of the 14th Amendment for federal candidates. Colorado should be able to bar oath-breaking insurrections from our ballot."

The ruling from the Supreme Court is a significant boost to Trump's campaign on the eve of Super Tuesday.

In 2016, Super Tuesday was the moment Trump seized control of the Republican primary, winning seven of the 11 contests. He was elected president later that year.

Trump is almost certain to be the Republican Party's presidential candidate for the November election, while incumbent Joe Biden is also set to be the Democratic Party's nominee in a repeat run-off of their 2020 contest.

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jsi/dj (AFP, dpa, Reuters, AP)