Dean Philips says Colorado banning Trump from ballot ‘wrong’

Rep. Dean Phillips (D-Minn.), a primary challenger to President Biden’s reelection bid, said Wednesday he thought the Colorado Supreme Court was “wrong” to block former President Trump from appearing on the state’s GOP primary ballot in 2024.

In a post on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, Phillips criticized the decision by the state’s high court that invoked Trump’s role in the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol in claiming he was ineligible to hold public office again.

The 4-3 ruling Tuesday cited the “insurrection clause” of the 14th Amendment that says anyone who engaged in insurrection against the United States, after having taken an oath of office, would be barred from seeking public office again.

“Do I believe Trump is guilty of inspiring an insurrection and doing nothing to stop it?” Phillips wrote on X. “I was there. Absolutely.”

He continued: “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.”

Phillips’s response to the significant court decision stands in contrast to Biden’s. In speaking to reporters Wednesday, Biden said he would not comment on the Supreme Court’s decision, but he stressed there’s “no question” Trump supported 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.”

The Trump campaign has already indicated its plans to appeal the ruling to the U.S. Supreme Court, which has a 6-3 conservative majority and includes three justices that Trump nominated.

The Colorado Supreme Court put its ruling on hold until Jan. 4 to allow Trump time to 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.