The Supreme Court notice on Sunday has raised questions regarding a potential ruling in the Colorado ballot eligibility case of Donald Trump.
The 2024 Republican presidential nomination frontrunner, Trump, is currently confronted with legal challenges aiming to exclude him from the ballot in multiple states. These challenges are rooted in Section 3 of the 14th Amendment.
In a recent post on X, formerly known as Twitter, Lawrence Hurley, a Supreme Court reporter for NBC News, pointed out that the Supreme Court website has issued a notice for Monday. The notice indicates that the court will be releasing an order list and there is a possibility of opinion announcements on the homepage. Furthermore, the notice clarifies that the court will not convene for a session on this particular day.
Opinions will be published on the court’s website starting at 10 a.m. EST on Monday.
According to Hurley, this notice indicates that there will probably be a decision on Trump’s ballot eligibility case. He added that the ruling will be unusual because the justices will not be physically present in the courtroom to announce it.
“The Supreme Court website has announced that there will be rulings tomorrow. Considering that Colorado’s primary is scheduled for Tuesday, it is highly probable that they will reach a decision on the Trump ballot eligibility case,” Hurley stated confidently on X, accompanied by an image of the notice.
According to Hurley, tomorrow will be an exception as the justices will not be in the courtroom to announce the rulings, as it is not a regularly scheduled day for such announcements.
Newsweek has contacted Trump’s campaign and the Supreme Court for comment through email and an online form, respectively.
The same constitutional amendment has led to the removal of the former president from the ballots in both Maine and Colorado.
The decision to remove Trump from the primary ballot in the two states now rests with the Supreme Court. Trump has appealed both states’ decisions, and in early February, the Supreme Court heard arguments in the case. Legal experts have expressed doubt that the high court will uphold the state’s ruling.
Section 3 of the 14th Amendment, a clause dating back to the Civil War era, prohibits individuals who have participated in insurrection or rebellion after swearing an oath to uphold the Constitution from seeking public office once again.
Legal challenges to Trump’s candidacy have focused on his involvement in the January 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol. Trump has consistently proclaimed his innocence and denied any role in inciting the insurrection. He has accused those who have filed lawsuits against him of trying to interfere with the election process.
The Supreme Court is now responsible for deciding whether to remove the former president from the primary ballot in Maine and Colorado. The former president has appealed both states’ decisions after being disqualified due to a constitutional amendment. Legal experts are skeptical that the Supreme Court will uphold the state’s ruling, and arguments were heard in early February.
One day before Super Tuesday, the busiest day of the primary season, a potential ruling in the case arises as President Trump and Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley gear up to compete. More than a dozen states will hold races on this day to determine the next Republican presidential nominee.
Donald Trump has solidified his status as the frontrunner for the 2024 GOP nomination after achieving resounding victories in key states such as Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina, Nevada, and Michigan.
Haley, a former United Nations ambassador, has faced suggestions that she should withdraw from the race following her failure to secure any victories in the previous primary elections, even in her home state of South Carolina. However, she remains steadfast and is determined to press on, focusing her campaign efforts on Super Tuesday.
In late February, an Illinois judge made a ruling that prevents Trump from appearing on the state’s primary ballot this month. The ruling is based on the “insurrection clause” of the 14th Amendment.
In her decision, Cook County Circuit Judge Tracie Porter found the Colorado Supreme Court’s ruling on Trump’s candidacy to be “compelling.” She heavily relied on this ruling to support her decision.
Trump and his campaign have criticized previous decisions to exclude him from the 2024 ballot.