Approximately 200 Republican members of Congress, including Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, have endorsed a Supreme Court brief advocating for the court to support former President Donald Trump’s eligibility to be on Colorado’s ballot in the 2024 election.
The Supreme Court has granted a review of a December verdict by a Colorado court that prohibited former President Donald Trump from being included on the Republican primary ballot in the state. This decision was based on his involvement in the attacks on the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021. The Colorado court referenced the 14th Amendment’s restriction on anybody holding any position under the United States if they have participated in rebellion.
Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and House Majority Leader Steve Scalise spearheaded the concise gathering, which encompassed McConnell and 46 Senate Republicans. They contend that the Colorado court ruling encroaches upon the authority of Congress.
From my time on the border near Lukeville, Arizona. The port of entry closed because so many illegal aliens were there. Mostly male illegal aliens from the African countries of Senegal and Guinea which are majority Islamic. Tensions were very high because people tried to cut in… pic.twitter.com/COoB6te6AE
— Just Jeff From Cali (@liberty_clarion) January 19, 2024
The congressional Republicans’ brief does not address the question of whether the attack on the Capitol on January 6, 2021 constituted an insurrection, despite the fact that this conclusion was central to the Colorado court’s ruling. Legislators dedicated a significant portion of the 37-page document to scrutinizing whether Trump should be held accountable for the violence that occurred on that day.
“It is hard to imagine an actual insurrectionist quickly asking for peace and encouraging disbandment,” the group writes, focusing on one of many actions Trump took that day to direct the crowd.
McConnell’s signing is noteworthy due to his consistent support of his previous statements made in the aftermath of the January 6th incident, where he directly held Trump responsible for inciting the violence.
In December 2020, Capitol Hill Republicans provided significant support to Trump’s attempt to alter the outcome of the 2020 presidential election when it reached the Supreme Court. Their endorsements on the previous document foreshadowed the January 6th vote, in which over fifty percent of House Republicans supported the endeavor.
The forthcoming verdict of the Supreme Court will have repercussions on other states considering the possibility of preventing Trump from appearing on the ballot. This includes Maine, where a judge temporarily suspended a decision to exclude Trump, pending the outcome of the Supreme Court’s determination.
