President Biden on Wednesday said there’s “no question” former President Trump supported an insurrection after a Colorado court ruled to remove Trump from the state’s ballot over his role in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol.
Biden, in comments to reporters upon landing in Milwaukee, declined to weigh in on the court’s decision or whether Trump should be removed from the ballot. But he said it was “self-evident” Trump supported an insurrection.
“Whether the 14th Amendment applies or not, we’ll let the court make that decision,” Biden said. “But he certainly supported an insurrection. There’s no question about it. None. Zero. And he seems to be doubling down on it.”
In a Tuesday ruling, the Colorado Supreme Court in a 4-3 ruling affirmed Trump engaged in insurrection by inflaming his supporters with false claims of election fraud and directing them to the Capitol — preventing him from a second White House term under the 14th Amendment’s “insurrection clause.”
Trump supporters violently stormed the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, to try to stop the certification of President Biden’s victory in the 2020 election.
The Trump campaign has already indicated it plans to appeal the ruling to the U.S. Supreme Court, which has a 6-3 conservative majority and includes three justices nominated by Trump.
The Colorado Supreme Court put its ruling on hold until Jan. 4, so Trump can first seek review from the U.S. Supreme Court. If he does, the former president’s name automatically remains on the ballot until the justices resolve the appeal.
Trump is the dominant front-runner in the Republican primary race, putting him on track to face Biden in the 2024 general election. Polls have shown a close race between Biden and Trump, with a New York Times/Siena College poll released this week finding Biden with a 2-point lead among likely voters.