Democrat Dean Phillips denounces Colorado ruling keeping Trump off 2024 ballot

Rep. Dean Phillips (D-MN) criticized the Colorado Supreme Court’s ruling that former President Donald Trump is ineligible for the state’s 2024 ballot under the 14th Amendment’s insurrection clause, drawing a contrast with his 2024 opponent, President Joe Biden.

“Do I believe Trump is guilty of inspiring an insurrection and doing nothing to stop it? I was there. Absolutely,” the Minnesota Democrat ceded Wednesday on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter.

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“Do I believe it’s wrong to ban him from the ballot in Colorado without a conviction?” he asked. “Absolutely. Do I believe the SCOTUS must opine immediately? Absolutely.”

Colorado’s top court decided Tuesday in favor of the suit from left-wing legal groups to keep Trump off the ballot on the basis of the 14th Amendment, making it the first state in which such an argument was affirmed.

The decision was quickly denounced by Republicans across the board, including all of Trump’s primary opponents, even his biggest critic, former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie. Other Trump-critical Republicans similarly condemned the court’s move, including former Michigan Rep. Peter Meijer, who said it was “perhaps the most extra-constitutional act by a high court in my lifetime.” Meijer, now running for Senate, was one of 10 Republicans in the House to vote in favor of Trump’s impeachment.

Biden also responded to the ruling, with one reporter asking the president if Trump was an “insurrectionist.”

“It’s self-evident,” he said. “You saw it all.”

But, he added, “whether the 14th Amendment applies, I’ll let the court make that decision.”

“He certainly supported an insurrection. No question about it. None. Zero. And he seems to be doubling down on about everything,” Biden continued.

When White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre was asked about the subject, she avoided commenting on the matter. “What I can say is the president’s not involved. We’re not involved in it,” she told reporters. “Just not going to get involved in any court decision that’s made. Supreme Court, any court decision is a legal process.”

“We’re going to leave it alone, not comment. … We try to do our best to follow the law and just not going to comment on this,” she added.

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Phillips is hoping to seize on Biden’s decision not to file for the primary in New Hampshire and win the support of disaffected Democrats to launch himself into a more competitive standing against the president in the remaining nominating contests.

His rationale for running against the president is the polling that shows voter concern over his age, arguing Biden should pass the torch to a new generation. He maintained in a new interview that it’s not yet too late for Biden to do this, especially if Phillips has a strong New Hampshire showing.