US Supreme Court rules Trump can stay on Colorado ballot, removing potential barrier to White House bid

The US Supreme Court unanimously dismisses a state court ruling that could have barred Donald Trump from the ballot for engaging in insurrection, removing a potential hurdle to his bid to recapture the White House.

The high-stakes ruling in favor of the former president comes on the eve of the Super Tuesday primaries that are expected to cement Trump’s march toward the Republican nomination to take on US President Joe Biden in November.

It was the most consequential election case heard by the court since it halted the Florida vote recount in 2000 with Republican George W. Bush narrowly leading Democrat Al Gore.

The question before the nine justices was whether Trump was ineligible to appear on the Republican presidential primary ballot in Colorado because he engaged in an insurrection — the January 6, 2021, assault on the US Capitol by his supporters.

In a 9-0 decision, the conservative-dominated court says “the judgment of the Colorado Supreme Court… cannot stand,” meaning 77-year-old Trump, the Republican White House frontrunner, can appear on the state’s primary ballot.

“All nine Members of the Court agree with that result,” they add.

Trump hailed the decision, declaring a “BIG WIN FOR AMERICA!!!” in a post on his Truth Social website.