Trump v. Anderson
Overview
Overview
Colorado's Supreme Court ruled that Donald Trump was disqualified from appearing on the state's presidential primary ballot under Section 3 of the Fourteenth Amendment, which bars people who engaged in insurrection from holding federal office. The U.S. Supreme Court reversed unanimously in March 2024, holding that states do not have the power to enforce Section 3 against federal candidates for federal office. Only Congress can act to enforce the disqualification provision against federal officials. The decision was narrow on the constitutional merits, avoiding the question of whether January 6 qualified as an insurrection. Bryan covers it as the disqualification case that the Court resolved without deciding the underlying constitutional question, and as a lesson in how unanimous decisions can still carry significant division about reasoning even when the outcome is agreed.
The Conclusion
Conclusion
The Supreme Court held unanimously that states lack the power to enforce Section 3 of the Fourteenth Amendment against federal candidates for federal office. Only Congress has authority to enforce Section 3 disqualification. The decision sidestepped the constitutional question of whether January 6 constituted an insurrection.
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