The Supreme Court on March 4 unanimously overruled a Colorado decision that would have kept former president Donald Trump off the ballot in 2024. Former US President Donald Trump is the front runner for the Republican presidential nomination and is widely expected to face off for a second time against President Joe Biden in November. Trump posted on his social media network shortly after the decision was released: “BIG WIN FOR AMERICA!!!”

Colorado’s Supreme Court, in a first-of-its-kind ruling, had decided that the provision, Section 3, could be applied to Trump, who that court found incited the Capitol attack.
Trump’s lawyers mounted several arguments for why the amendment can’t be used to keep him off the ballot. They contended the Jan. 6 riot wasn’t an insurrection and, even if it was, Trump did not go to the Capitol or join the rioters. The wording of the amendment also excludes the presidency and candidates running for president, they said. Even if all those arguments failed, they said, Congress must pass legislation to reinvigorate Section 3.

Trump, in a post on his social media platform, hailed the court’s decision. “Without Presidential Immunity, a President will not be able to properly function, or make decisions, in the best interest of the United States of America,” Trump wrote. “Presidents will always be concerned, and even paralyzed, by the prospect of wrongful prosecution and retaliation after they leave office. This could actually lead to the extortion and blackmail of a President.”