Washington, D.C. — Today, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that Colorado cannot rely on the 14th Amendment to bar former President Donald Trump from appearing on the ballot based on his role in the January 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol. In response, Michael Sozan, senior fellow at the Center for American Progress Action Fund, issued the following statement:
This decision does a disservice to democracy, and it’s unfortunate that the Supreme Court didn’t follow the plain language of the Constitution. The 14th Amendment is unambiguous when it comes to insurrection. The Colorado Supreme Court clearly established Donald Trump’s role in a scheme designed to overturn the 2020 election. All nine justices agreed in today’s judgment, but five justices overstepped, deciding novel issues that could insulate people who engaged in insurrection from future accountability. However, nothing in today’s opinion absolved Trump of his role in the January 6 insurrection. Because of the court’s opinion, it is now up to Congress to definitively prohibit those who have engaged in insurrection from holding federal office. And if Congress fails to do so, voters across the ideological spectrum must chart the future of our republic and decide whether engaging in insurrection is disqualifying to be president.
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