Colorado GOP trolled as it backs Vivek Ramaswamy, threatens to cancel primary if Trump is disqualified

DENVER, COLORADO: The Colorado Republican Party has declared its intent to abstain from conducting the state's primary election, scheduled for the upcoming season if the name of former President Donald Trump is not included on the ballot.

The party has threatened to replace the primary with a caucus instead, following a recent ruling from the state Supreme Court.

This decision was made after Trump's rival, Vivek Ramaswamy, threatened to withdraw his name from the ballot as a form of protest.

The Colorado Supreme Court's ruling has caused an uproar as it prohibits Trump's presidential candidacy based on the 14th Amendment's clause that bars individuals who have committed "insurrection" against the United States.

The verdict remains in effect despite a justice objecting to the decision, claiming that it was not in accordance with "due process" and was likely to cause chaos.

This is especially true in light of the most recent statement issued by Ramaswamy and the state GOP following the court's ruling on Tuesday, December 19, 2023.

It is worth noting that the Democrats have won Colorado in the last four general elections, and Joe Biden won by a 13-point margin in the 2020 election, per Daily Mail.

The state will have ten electoral college votes in 2024, making the outcome of the Republican primary crucial in determining the party's presidential nominee for the all-important election in November.

What did the Colorado Republican Party say on Wednesday?

Colorado's Republican Party responded when Ramaswamy threatened to pull his name off the ballot and urged rivals Nikki Haley, Ron DeSantis, and Chris Christie to follow suit.

Ramaswamy tweeted on X a video of himself with the caption, “I pledge to withdraw from the Colorado GOP primary ballot until Trump is also allowed to be on the ballot, and I demand that Ron DeSantis, Chris Christie, and Nikki Haley do the same immediately - or else they are tacitly endorsing this illegal maneuver which will have disastrous consequences for our country.”

The Colorado Republican Party replied under Ramaswamy’s post, “You won't have to because we will withdraw from the Primary as a Party and convert to a pure caucus system if this is allowed to stand.”

State GOP chair Dave Williams spoke with NBC News admitting, “We're at the mercy of the US Supreme Court. We’re not sure what their timing is going to be. We’re figuring it out as we go.”   

Williams added, “But we'll make our preparations to convert to a caucus while this is all playing out. And if it (the Supreme Court ruling) does not go in our favor, we'll plan to do a caucus. But if it does go in our favor, then nothing will change.”

The feasibility of the state party's intended course of action is not entirely apparent.

In 2019, Coloradans voted to switch to a primary, which would necessitate approval from the national GOP, where Trump's influence is considerable.

Furthermore, it would require state backing and could face legal challenges.

The office of Colorado's Democratic Secretary of State, Jena Griswold, who has been instructed not to include Trump's name on the ballot, is unlikely to comply with the proposed plan.

Jack Todd, a spokesperson for Griswold said, “Colorado law does not allow a presidential primary election to be cancelled at the request of a political party. If the Colorado Republican Party attempts to withdraw from the presidential primary or ignore the results of the election, this would likely be a matter for the courts.”

The recent events in Colorado have caused a stir, amidst the uproar from Trump and his Republican allies regarding the court's decision that could potentially sideline the leading Republican presidential candidate in other states.

The court's 4-3 ruling on Tuesday stated that "a majority of the court holds that Trump is disqualified from holding the office of president under Section 3 of the 14th Amendment."

Furthermore, the court found that Trump's January 6 speech, in which he encouraged the crowd to "fight like hell," was not protected under the First Amendment.

The decision has drawn criticism from former Trump AG Bill Barr, who has since become a Trump critic, stating that it would disrupt the election system.

He argues that "the core problem here is the denial of due process," and that the process was a "procedural Frankenstein."

Barr additionally pointed out that Trump “feeds on grievance, just like a fire feeds on oxygen,” in reference to his potential political impact. “This is going to end up as a grievance that helps him.”

However, President Joe Biden has stated on Wednesday that there is "no question" that Trump engaged in insurrection.

Meanwhile, former House impeachment manager Rep Jamie Raskin (D-Md.), a constitutional law professor, has claimed that the ruling was based on the text of the US Constitution.

He argues that "if the (Supreme) Court takes remotely seriously its profession of faith in original intent and textualism, then it will have to affirm" the ruling, as the "original meaning... is precisely to forbid people who have betrayed their oath by trying to overthrow the constitutional order."

The United States Supreme Court, now composed of six conservative and three liberal judges, three of whom were appointed by former President Donald Trump, may rely on the three Colorado dissenters to provide legal arguments if they decide to intervene.

Judge Carlos Samour, who dissented against the ruling, remarked, “I have been involved in the justice system for thirty-three years now, and what took place here doesn’t resemble anything I’ve seen in a courtroom.”

The judge appointed by Democratic Governor John Hickenlooper cautioned that the ruling's aftermath could cause chaos.

He argued that Trump had not been charged under a statute dealing with insurrection and had not gone through a jury trial or other measures to protect his rights.

In his dissent to the 4-3 decision, he stated, "In my view, what transpired in this litigation fell woefully short of what due process demands."

Internet reacts as chaos erupts following Colorado Supreme Court's ruling against Trump

People on X expressed their concerns following Tuesday's ruling by the Colorado Supreme Court barring Trump from being on the state primary.

One X user remarked, "What a mess".

Another user said, "This is like the final convulsions of the GOP unless you can distance yourself from MAGA. This is why you don't put all your eggs in one basket."

Another user wrote, "So, Colorado Republicans are going to stage another coup? How will that work...I don't get it."

One user stated, "The 14th Amendment says no person who engaged in insurrection may hold office, not just be banned from a ballot. It would take 2/3 of each House to allow that person to hold office."

Another X user remarked, "Good riddance...lol".

Finally, this user tweeted, "Colorado is a very compromised state."

This article contains remarks made on the Internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online.