Colorado Supreme Court ruling on Trump: Will he be able to run?

Melik ÇELİK - 12punto.com.tr

The Colorado Supreme Court in the United States has ruled that the 45th US President, Donald Trump, cannot run in the presidential election in that state on the grounds that he committed the crime of "insurrection and rebellion." This decision has led everyone to ask the question: 'Will Trump be unable to run in the election?' Writer Sarp Sinan Hacır, who closely follows US politics, explained the process ahead to 12punto.

THE BALL IS IN THE FEDERAL SUPREME COURT'S COURT

Harici.com.tr writer Sarp Sinan Hacır evaluated the Colorado Court's Trump ruling for 12punto.com.tr. Stating that similar cases are ongoing in different states and that the US is currently in turmoil over this issue, Hacır said,

"For about three or four years, there has been intense debate over whether the January 6 events were a coup attempt or an insurrection. All the outbursts and fights that occurred throughout the Trump administration were actually locked onto this event. However, as we approach the 2024 elections, we have started to talk and discuss how much these legal processes will affect the election. All the discussions held in the last year have been about this. An important point to note in this decision from Colorado is that the ruling has been stayed until January 4. This actually means the Colorado Supreme Court is directing the decision to the Federal Supreme Court. This means the final decision will be made by the Federal Supreme Court," he said.

TRUMP APPOINTED 3 MEMBERS

Hacır also commented on the Federal Supreme Court, where Republicans are strong and which is the most authoritative body regarding the judiciary in the US:

"The Supreme Court had come to the agenda with the three appointments Trump made during his term. Thanks to the appointments made during the Trump era, Republicans gained a majority in the Court, and the Republican Party is stronger in the Court. Thanks to very controversial names among these appointments, such as Amy Coney Barrett and Brett Kavanaugh, Republicans can get what they want passed. Therefore, the US Federal Supreme Court has become a place that Republicans control comfortably. Furthermore, it is highly likely that this decision from Colorado will be overturned by the Federal Supreme Court because their staying it until January 4 means they have passed the ball to them," he said.

Hacır underlined that Democrats in the US public are also worried about this decision, noting that there is a possibility that a Democratic politician could also be blocked in the future for the same reason.

WILL TRUMP'S VOTES DROP?

Hacır says that Trump is very popular among the Republican base, but even if his candidacy is blocked by legal means, the Republican base will shift to politicians who resemble Trump and adopt an "America First" policy.

Pointing to Trump's high self-confidence and the significant increase in his poll numbers, Hacır said: "Trump made comments against this court decision, saying, 'A witch hunt is being conducted against us, but this will not stop us; our votes will rise even higher.' Trump had previously said, 'Even if I shot someone in the middle of New York, I wouldn't lose a single vote.' Because even his opponents who do not like Trump are commenting that this is a witch hunt," he said.

TRUMP'S ALTERNATIVES

So far, it has been observed that three names have come to the fore among Republicans in the event that Trump's candidacy is blocked. These are Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, Republican Senator and Indian-origin Vivek Ramaswamy, and former US Ambassador to the UN during the Trump era, Nikki Haley. Hacır pointed out the following regarding these names:

"Three names stand out among the Republicans. One of them is Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, Nikki Haley, and Vivek Ramaswamy. DeSantis stands out for being young and is known for his constant, harsh exchanges with Democrats. Vivek Ramaswamy is a name close to Trump's extreme policies and is a person who has come to the agenda with his critical view on Ukraine and Israel. Nikki Haley, on the other hand, is someone who gets along well with the US establishment. She was appointed as the permanent representative to the UN during the Trump era. According to polls, the person leading other than Trump is Ron DeSantis. Haley and Ramaswamy appear to be neck and neck. The Republican party also wants Ron DeSantis."

Former US President Donald Trump is currently being tried in different courts with a total of 715 years of potential prison sentences. However, even if Trump goes to prison, he can still be a candidate. There is another precedent in US history. In the 1920 US presidential election, Socialist Party candidate Eugene Debs was a presidential candidate while in prison and received one million votes.