Commonwealth Policy Center

The state Supreme Courts of Colorado and Maine have removed Donald Trump from their ballots. Both courts claim that Trump cannot run for office because of his statements casting doubt on the 2020 election. Regardless of whether or not Trump is telling the truth, the Colorado and Maine courts are not respecting due process. No legal charges have been filed against Trump, nor have the courts found him guilty of anything that would preclude him from being on the ballot. Consequently, these judges are effectively disenfranchising the electorate. A lesson here is that when courts short circuit the democratic process there will be backlash. We will soon find out the extent of the backlash with Republican voters as the Iowa Caucuses will be held next week.