Jonathan Turley warns Colorado's Trump ruling is 'exceptionally dangerous'
Constitutional law professor Jonathan Turley explains on 'The Brian Kilmeade Show' why Colorado's decision to bar Trump from the primary ballot is an 'anti-Democratic' opinion.
Fox News contributor Jonathan Turley said Wednesday on "The Brian Kilmeade Show" that he's deeply troubled by the Colorado Supreme Court disqualifying former President Donald Trump from appearing on the state's ballots in 2024. The constitutional law professor called the decision "anti-democratic" and explained why it could have a "destabilizing" effect on the U.S. electoral system.
DEMS' CLAIMS TRUMP DISQUALIFIED VIA 14TH AMENDMENT ‘NOT GOING TO FLY’: EX-CLINTON SCANDAL PROSECUTOR
JONATHAN TURLEY: It does bother me quite deeply. This is exceptionally dangerous. I mean, it is an anti-democratic opinion, and it could set us on a course that would be incredibly destabilizing for our system. Our system is not perfect, but the one thing that it can recommend itself for is that it's been stable. It survived crises that reduced other countries to a fine pumice. And so we have a system that is built to last. This is introducing a new element. This is introducing the ability of states to effectively block the leading candidate for the presidency by barring them from ballots, and it will result in a tit-for-tat. And this is something that is quite familiar in other countries. This is the way things are in places like Iran, where they have ballot cleansing, where you have people in government tell you who's just not appropriate for you to vote for. And we're looking down that road. Quite fortunately, we have a Supreme Court that I think will make fast work of this. I think that they're just dead wrong on the history, on the language, on the interpretation of the 14th Amendment.
Republican presidential candidate and former President Donald Trump attends a campaign event in Waterloo, Iowa, on Tuesday. (REUTERS/Scott Morgan)
The Colorado Supreme Court disqualified former President Donald Trump from appearing on the state's ballots in 2024.
The disqualification, which was made under the 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, is related to the Capitol riot on Jan. 6, 2021.
Tuesday's 4-3 ruling is stayed until Jan. 4 because of likely appeals. Three justices on the Colorado Supreme Court dissented.
"We do not reach these conclusions lightly," the court's majority wrote. "We are mindful of the magnitude and weight of the questions now before us. We are likewise mindful of our solemn duty to apply the law, without fear or favor, and without being swayed by public reaction to the decisions that the law mandates we reach."
Trump campaign spokesman Steven Cheung wrote in a statement that an appeal would be filed on Tuesday night.
Fox News' Bill Mears and Adam Sabes contributed to this report.
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