In Colorado State Ruling... Biden Says "Trump Clearly Supports Insurrection"

Ruling Blocking Trump’s Primary Candidacy
Biden: "Court Decides Candidate Eligibility"

U.S. President Joe Biden commented on the Colorado Supreme Court's ruling banning former President Donald Trump from running in the presidential primary, saying, "He definitely supported insurrection."

On the 20th (local time), President Biden met with reporters in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and when asked if he considered Trump a rebel, he responded, "That is obvious. There is no doubt," adding, "He (former President Trump) is rather doubling down on everything."

However, regarding the restriction on Trump's eligibility to run for president, Biden was reserved, stating, "Whether the 14th Amendment applies will be decided by the courts."

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

The basis for restricting former President Trump's eligibility lies in Section 3 of the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which prohibits holding public office if one has engaged in insurrection. However, there is legal debate over whether the term "public office" includes the presidency.

White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre also avoided a direct answer when asked about the Colorado Supreme Court ruling during a briefing on the plane to Milwaukee, saying, "President Biden and the White House were not involved," and "This is a judicial process."

Former President Trump, who is preparing to run in next year's presidential election, was indicted in August on charges of inciting insurrection for allegedly encouraging the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot. The day before, the Colorado Supreme Court ruled that Trump’s involvement in the insurrection was recognized, deeming him ineligible as a presidential candidate and ruling that his registration as a candidate in the Colorado presidential primary was improper.

According to the Associated Press, this is the first time a U.S. court has used Section 3 of the 14th Amendment to disqualify a presidential candidate. The state supreme court judged that "former President Trump incited and encouraged violence and illegal acts to obstruct the peaceful transfer of power." Colorado is known as a strong Democratic-leaning state.

Currently, lawsuits aiming to block former President Trump's presidential run are underway in 21 states, including Georgia, besides Colorado. This ruling from the Colorado Supreme Court is the first to disqualify Trump’s candidacy, and the outcome of these lawsuits is expected to have a significant impact on next year’s presidential election.

Former President Trump plans to appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court. Foreign media predict that the 6-3 conservative-leaning Supreme Court is more likely not to block Trump’s presidential run. Trump immediately condemned the ruling on his Truth Social account, calling it "election interference."

Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson also disparaged the ruling, calling it "a partisan attack shrouded in a veil," and said, "The Supreme Court should overturn this reckless ruling and give Americans the right to choose the next president."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.