Republican officials in multiple states are considering removing President Joe Biden from their 2024 ballots, following a controversial decision by the Colorado Supreme Court to ban former President Donald Trump from their state’s ballot.
In a surprise ruling, the state supreme court declared that Trump, who is currently vying for the GOP nomination in the 2024 presidential election, is ineligible to appear on Colorado’s ballot due to his role in the January 6th insurrection at the United States Capitol. The court cited Section 3 of the 14th Amendment, also known as the insurrection clause, as grounds for their decision.
The ruling was met with swift condemnation from Trump and his supporters, who accused the court of political bias and interfering in the election process. “A SAD DAY IN AMERICA!!!” Trump said in a post on his new social media platform, Truth Social.
The court’s decision has also sparked a debate among Republican officials in other states, with some calling for similar action against President Biden.
Texas Lt. Gov @DanPatrick flips script on Democrats after Trump gets barred from ballot in Colorado:
“Maybe we should take Joe Biden off the ballot in Texas for allowing 8 million people to cross the border since he’s been President.”
— Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) December 20, 2023
Texas Lt. Governor Dan Patrick, a Republican, appeared on Fox News with host Laura Ingraham to suggest removing Biden from the ballot in Texas. “Maybe we should take Joe Biden off the ballot in Texas for allowing eight million people to cross the border since he’s been president, disrupting our state far more than anything anyone else has done in recent history,” Patrick said.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who is running against Trump in the GOP primary for president, also weighed in on the ruling during a campaign stop. “What’s the limiting principle for that?” DeSantis said, referring to Trump’s ban. “Could we just say that Biden can’t be on the ballot because he let in eight million illegals into the country and violated the Constitution?”
The possibility of removing Biden from ballots in Republican-controlled states has sparked concerns over the erosion of democracy and fair elections. Some critics have accused GOP officials of using these tactics to suppress voters and manipulate the outcome of future elections.
If Colorado is taking Trump off the ballot, Florida and Texas should take Biden off the ballot
Allowing 8M+ illegal aliens into America is the greatest form of insurrection
See how slippery this slope gets?
— DC_Draino (@DC_Draino) December 20, 2023
Concerns over the political implications of the Colorado court’s ruling have also been raised, with some fearing that it sets a precedent that could be used to ban any candidate from appearing on the ballot in certain states based on their political beliefs or actions.
The court has issued a stay on their decision until January 4th, giving the Trump campaign time to appeal. The former president’s team has promised to do so, and many are anticipating that the U.S. Supreme Court will ultimately overturn the Colorado court’s ruling.
Until then, the situation remains fluid and uncertain. As the 2024 election season continues to heat up, it appears that political wrangling over the eligibility of candidates on state ballots will become a hot-button issue for both sides of the aisle.
