Civics 101: Will the US Supreme Court allow Donald Trump to stay on the ballot this Presidential election year

Who would have ever thought things would even have gone this far? It boggles the minds of us Americans who believe in the laws of the land and who think that crimes such as falsifying financial records for your own gain, perjuring yourself in court documents, having friendly relationships with the Russians behind closed doors, and urging on a riot to take over the American government so you can remain president when you clearly lost your second presidential bid, are reasons enough to say Donald Trump should not ever be considered as a candidate to run for president of the United States, ever again, No way.
However, Donald Trump still has a very large fan base of supporters and people in his pocket from MEGA (Make America Great Again), his campaign slogan, who say they are determined to vote for him again, given the opportunity. And there are people who support Donald Trump, who deny that he’s done anything wrong. The reality is that Donald Trump’s legal schedule this year is so tight one wonders when does he really have time to focus on campaigning.
Donald Trump has been charged with 91 felony counts across criminal cases in New York, Florida, Washington, and Georgia. As much as some people can’t believe it, the former president is the current front-runner in the 2024 Republican presidential primary, and he’s been the front-runner from day one when this campaign cycle began. If convicted of the charges he faces, Trump is looking at the possibility of prison time if convicted. As Trump tries his darndest to delay his criminal trials, some have already begun, and civil lawsuits endanger the former president’s financial and business prospects. A New York jury has already found Trump liable for sexually abusing and defaming E. Jean Carroll, awarding her $ 5 million in damages. A separate civil inquiry, led by New York Attorney General Letitia James, seeks $250 million that the Trump Organization allegedly obtained through fraud.
Then, how about this development: The Supreme Courts in Colorado and Maine both have deemed that Donald Trump should not be on the ballot in their states because of all the criminal charges against him. So now the U.S. Supreme Court is involved. The U.S. Supreme Court Justices will decide whether the former president can remain on the ballot. At the same time, the primary election for the first state to have one this year, Iowa, took place on January 15. The ball has already started rolling in this 2024 Presidential Election year, and primaries are starting to unfold–and yet the fate of Donald Trump is still up in the air.
Talk about a lot of moving pieces.
The US Supreme Court, on January 5, 2024, said it will decide whether former President Donald Trump can be kept off the ballot because of his efforts to overturn his 2020 election loss, inserting the court squarely in the 2024 presidential campaign. The justices acknowledged the need to reach a decision quickly, as voters will soon begin casting primary ballots across the country. The court agreed to take up Trump’s appeal of a case from Colorado stemming from his role in the events that culminated in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol. The U.S. Supreme Court will hear arguments on February 8, during what would normally be a monthlong winter break for the justices, according to the Associated Press. This timeframe could allow the court to produce a decision before Super Tuesday on March 5, when the largest number of delegates are up for grabs in a single day, including in Colorado.
The court will be considering for the first time the meaning and reach of a provision of the 14th Amendment barring some people who “engaged in insurrection” from holding public office. The Amendment, was adopted in 1868, following the Civil War. It has been so rarely used that the nation’s highest court had no previous occasion to interpret it. Colorado’s Supreme Court, by a 4-3 vote, ruled in December 2023 that Trump should not be on the Republican primary ballot. The decision was the first time the 14th Amendment was used to bar a presidential contender from the ballot.
Trump is separately appealing to the state court a ruling by Maine’s Democratic secretary of state, Shenna Bellows, that he was ineligible to appear on that state’s ballot over his role in the Capitol attack. Both the Colorado Supreme Court and the Maine Secretary of State rulings are on hold until the appeals play out.
The issue of whether Trump can be on the ballot is not the only matter related to the former president or January 6 that has reached the high court. The justices last month declined a request from special counsel Jack Smith to swiftly take up and rule on Trump’s claims that he is immune from prosecution in a case charging him with plotting to overturn the 2020 presidential election–though the issue could be back before the court soon, depending on the ruling of a Washington-based appeals court.
Imagine this. At this time, as of January 14, 2024, we truly do not know if Donald Trump’s name will stay on the ballot as he attempts to become president again. After February 8, things should be more clear. Will the US Supreme Court Justices overlook Trump’s 91 felony counts against him and allow Trump to stay on the ballot in all 50 states? Watch what happens after February 8, 2024.