An action group wants Trump to be expelled because of his role in the storming of the Capitol in Washington on January 6, 2021. Similar cases have also been filed against Trump in Michigan and Minnesota to prevent him from participating in the elections. The Colorado case is the first to go to trial.
The activists invoke Section 3 of the 14th Amendment to the US Constitution. It states that people who have participated in an “uprising or rebellion” are no longer allowed to hold public positions. According to the group, this also applies to Trump, because he allegedly incited his supporters to storm the parliament building and to overturn the election results.
Trump’s lawyer denied Monday that the former president incited violence and said it would set “a dangerous precedent” to exclude someone from elections based on his statements.
The section in the Constitution dates from the period just after the American Civil War and has hardly been used since. Legal experts think the activists have little chance of success. If they are successful, the Supreme Court would likely have to rule on Trump’s eligibility. Conservative judges have the majority there.
Trump wants to win the presidential elections again in a year’s time and currently appears to be the best contender to become the candidate on behalf of the Republican Party. The trial in Colorado is expected to last a week.
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