Democratic presidential candidate Dean Phillips criticized the Colorado Supreme Court’s ruling to remove former President Donald Trump from the primary ballot.
“Do I believe Trump is guilty of inspiring an insurrection and doing nothing to stop it? I was there. Absolutely,” the Minnesota congressman wrote Wednesday on X. “Do I believe it’s wrong to ban him from the ballot in Colorado without a conviction? Absolutely. Do I believe the SCOTUS must opine immediately? Absolutely.”
A Colorado Supreme Court ruled Tuesday that the former president engaged in an insurrection with his behavior regarding the 2020 election. The 4-3 decision ruled that he’s disqualified from holding the presidency under Section 3 of the 14th Amendment and removed his name from the March 5 GOP primary ballot.
Backlash has been loud. Fellow GOP candidate Vivek Ramaswamy said he will remove his name from the ballot until the former president is put back on.
At a campaign event in Iowa Wednesday, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said the Colorado decision is an example of Democrats and media allies teaming up to energize Mr. Trump’s primary base so they can focus on his legal issues in the general election.
Mr. Phillips’ stance on the ruling puts him at odds with others in his party. Sen. Chris Coons, Delaware Democrat, said it was “undeniable” the former president participated in an insurrection.
“I was here on January 6. We had an impeachment trial for President Trump after the events of January 6. I think it’s undeniable in my view that he participated in an insurrection and, as such, should be disqualified from holding federal office,” he said on CNN Wednesday.
Rep. Cori Bush, Missouri Democrat, wrote on X that she supported the ruling.
“I welcome the decision of the Colorado Supreme Court,” she wrote Wednesday. “The former white supremacist in chief has no place near the Oval Office or any office for that matter.”
Yet former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, who is running against Mr. Trump and is one of his harshest critics, said the court ruling is wrong.
“I do not believe Donald Trump should be prevented from being president of the United States by any court,” he said in New Hampshire Tuesday. “I think he should be prevented from being president of the United States by the voters.”
Trump campaign spokesman Steven Cheung said Mr. Trump will appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court swiftly to overturn the “deeply undemocratic decision.”
• Mallory Wilson can be reached at mwilson@washingtontimes.com.
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