Trump Disqualified From Holding US Office Again By Colorado Supreme Court Over Capitol Riots

The top court said it was mindful of the magnitude and weight of the questions before it, and likewise mindful of its solemn duty to apply the law without fear or favour.

US' Colorado Supreme Court Disqualifies Trump For 2024 Ballot.

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The Colorado Supreme Court on Tuesday held Donald Trump ineligible for the 2024 US Presidential elections under the constitution’s insurrection clause. The majority court ruling of 4:3 disqualified Trump from holding the office of President again after determining that he engaged in insurrection on 6 January 2021. Now, according to The Guardian, the verdict is likely to put up a showdown in the US Supreme Court to settle whether the January 6 attack on the Capitol amounted to an insurrection, and whether the former President's involvement disqualifies him from running for office.

On Jan 6, 2021, Trump's supporters stormed Congress while lawmakers were certifying President Joe Biden's election victory.

Meanwhile, reacting to the ruling, a spokesman for the Trump campaign, Steven Cheung said it was "completely flawed". 

"Democrat Party leaders are in a state of paranoia over the growing, dominant lead President Trump has amassed in the polls," he said, adding "They have lost faith in the failed Biden presidency and are now doing everything they can to stop the American voters from throwing them out of office next November."

Cheung said that Trump's legal team would "swiftly file an appeal" to the US Supreme Court.

In its ruling, the top court said: "We do not reach these conclusions lightly. We are mindful of the magnitude and weight of the questions now before us."

"We are likewise mindful of our solemn duty to apply the law, without fear or favor, and without being swayed by public reaction to the decisions that the law mandates we reach," it added, as quoted by BBC.

Notably, the decision - which has been placed on hold pending appeal until next month - does not apply to states outside of Colorado. Also, as per The Guardian, this is the first time a presidential candidate has been deemed unqualified for office under a rarely used law that bars insurrectionists from holding office.

The Colorado Supreme Court's order reversed an earlier ruling from a lower court here that said the 14th Amendment's insurrection ban did not apply to presidents because the section does not explicitly name them.