US Supreme Court rules for Trump in historic 14th Amendment ballot eligibility case

Supreme Court hears arguments in Trump 14th Amendment case
The legal battle centers on a previously obscure provision of the Constitution's 14th Amendment, Section 3, ratified shortly after the Civil War.

The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday ruled in favor of Donald Trump in a historic case challenging his ability to seek the Republican presidential nomination under Section 3 of the 14th Amendment due to his actions around the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol.

The court was unanimous in reversing the unprecedented decision out of Colorado that would kick Trump off the ballot under the provision after a state trial court found he participated in "insurrection" on Jan. 6 through incitement.

“For the reasons given, responsibility for enforcing Section 3 against federal officeholders and candidates rests with Congress and not the States," the Supreme Court opinion read. "The judgment of the Colorado Supreme Court therefore cannot stand. All nine Members of the Court agree with that result.”
 

The court held that only Congress had the power to enforce the provisions under Section 5 of the amendment and would apply nationwide.

"Any state enforcement of Section 3 against federal officeholders and candidates, though, would not derive from Section 5, which confers power only on “[t]he Congress.” As a result, such state enforcement might be argued to sweep more broadly than congressional enforcement could under our precedents. But the notion that the Constitution grants the States freer rein than Congress to decide how Section should be enforced with respect to federal offices is simply implausible," the court said.

Trump quickly celebrated the decision, writing on his social media platform it was a "BIG WIN" for the country.