Today, the Supreme Court ruled states cannot remove former President
Donald Trump from their 2024 ballots.
Rd. CS Raquel Martin is in Washington with more on
what power state and federal governments have over the ballot,
the Supreme Court wasted no time handing down this decision.
They heard arguments less than a month ago.
In the end, the justices determined that the federal government,
not individual states, can determine who's qualified to be on
the ballot.
In a unanimous decision, the US Supreme Court overruled the
Colorado State Supreme Court,
which had decided Donald Trump was not eligible to be
president because he engaged in an insurrection on January 6th.
It's a very important decision.
We're very well crafted. Trump calls the ruling,
which in similar efforts to remove him from the ballot
in Illinois and Maine,
a big win for America.
The voters can take the person out of the race
very quickly,
but a court shouldn't be doing that in the opinion,
all nine Supreme Court justices agreed.
Only the federal government, not an individual state,
has the power to determine if a president is qualified
for office.
Can't be done by a patchwork of state decisions,
George Washington University law professor Paul Schiff Berman says.
The decision sidesteps the court issue.
Did the former president engage in an insurrection on January
6th?
This case does not tell us anything about that.
The ruling comes on the eve of a consequential Super
Tuesday,
where Republicans in 15 states will vote for their party's
candidate for president while campaigning in Texas.
Trump's primary opponent? Nikki Haley.
Told supporters she agrees with the High Court's ruling.
I'll defeat Donald Trump fair and square,
but I want him on that ballot.
The conservative justice is on the court are punting this
issue over to Congress.
They say lawmakers on Capitol Hill need to pass legislation
to clarify the law.
For now in Washington, Raquel Martin,
back to you.