David Axelrod, former adviser to former President Barack Obama, slammed the effort to keep former President Donald Trump off the ballot in Colorado on Wednesday night as the Supreme Court prepares to hear the case.
Axelrod, who has been critical of President Joe Biden but does not support Trump, claimed removing the lead Republican presidential candidate from the ballot would be “disruptive” and invoke a strong reaction in the country.
“I’m not here as an apologist for Donald Trump, and I’m certainly not here as a lawyer,” Axelrod said on CNN. “There are myriad legal questions that they’re gonna consider tomorrow. Some will undoubtedly offer off-ramps if they want an off-ramp, but I’m trying to imagine what it would be like if the Supreme Court said, ‘We’re removing the front-running Republican candidate from the ballot,’ and essentially saying to the American people, ‘You won’t have the opportunity to vote for him.’”
He continued, “I think it would be very, very disruptive in this country. I think it will create a huge reaction, and that worries me. … There’s so much cynicism about our institutions already, and the strength of our democracy are these institutions. You can argue that’s why you have to go the way the Colorado court suggests. But I think in the minds of many voters, this would be a subversion, and it would draw a very strong reaction.”
The Colorado Supreme Court ruled in December that Trump was ineligible to be on the state’s ballot because of his alleged role in the Jan. 6 Capitol riot. The court claimed the riot constituted an “insurrection” that violated the 14th Amendment. However, none of the rioters have been charged with engaging in an insurrection.
The U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling will have a large effect on other efforts to keep Trump off state ballots, including in Maine, where the secretary of state also ruled that Trump was disqualified for allegedly violating the 14th Amendment. The Colorado and Maine decisions have been stayed pending the Supreme Court’s review.
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If the Supreme Court, which has a Republican-appointed majority, rules in favor of Colorado, then the matter of Trump’s ballot eligibility will return to the states.
Oral arguments in the case will begin on Thursday, but no timetable for when a decision will be made has been released. However, experts are hoping the ruling comes before Super Tuesday, on March 5.
