There’s a fire in Colorado, and it ain’t the wild kind. Ex-President Donald Trump’s efforts to come back as a 2024 MAGA contender might have hit a legal snag, and let me tell you, folks—it’s kind of a big deal. In a climate where a considerable chunk of the population still believes in baseless election fraud claims, one might say this story is the political tea we’ve all been waiting for.
Picture this: it’s Wednesday, and Trump’s legal team is about to head into court yet again to contest a lawsuit. What’s it about? It’s a challenging query into whether Trump can even legally make a run for the White House in 2024. Why? If Trump’s actions, or even encouragement of the events surrounding January 6th, are seen as an ‘insurrection,’ he could be barred from running for office under the 14th Amendment.
But here’s the kicker. Colorado District Judge Sarah Wallace isn’t playing games. She’s already dismissed Trump’s attempts to toss out this lawsuit five times. If you’re wondering, “Wait, how many times?” Yeah, that’s right. Five. If this were baseball, Trump would’ve struck out half an inning ago.
And Judge Wallace has some fascinating insights. CNN reported that she’s slapped down Trump’s claim that this whole debate on his eligibility should be a Congress issue, not a matter for the courts. Moreover, she’s not buying the argument that Colorado election officials can’t tap into the power of the ‘insurrectionist ban’ present in the 14th Amendment.
It gets juicier. According to Matt Naham over at Law & Crime, our judge here sides with a voter group backed by the Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW). Their main beef? They argue that Trump’s actions (or shall we say misactions?) on January 6th disqualify him from being listed as a candidate on the 2024 Republican presidential primary ballot.
The million-dollar question now is, how will this all unfold? Could we see Trump banned from making a 2024 run? Or will he find some Hail Mary move to sidestep this blockade? Whatever the case, it’s a reminder that the aftershocks of January 6th are still very much resonating across the nation’s political landscape.
