Colorado's high court on Tuesday ruled the former president could not be on the state's Republican primary ballot because he engaged in insurrection against the United States. The Colorado Supremes cited the 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution in their decision – which states:
"No person shall be a Senator or Representative in Congress, or elector of President and Vice-President, or hold any office, civil or military, under the United States, or under any State, who, having previously taken an oath, as a member of Congress, or as an officer of the United States, or as a member of any State legislature, or as an executive or judicial officer of any State, to support the Constitution of the United States, shall have engaged in insurrection or rebellion against the same, or given aid or comfort to the enemies thereof. But Congress may by a vote of two-thirds of each House, remove such disability."
Many believe the Colorado Supreme Court, which issued its ruling in a 4-3 decision, has misapplied the amendment. A Republican member of Congress representing Michigan is among those.
"Stop and think about it," Rep. Tim Walberg (R-Michigan) said on Washington Watch Thursday. "The due process that normally is carried out with someone who is convicted of something already – in this case, insurrection – hasn't taken place. A state Supreme Court 2,000 miles removed from the alleged crime takes a federal law and the Constitution and enacts a penalty by removing arguably the number-one candidate from the opposition party from the ballot in Colorado."
Dems playing loosely with emergency provisions
Family Research Council president Tony Perkins told show host Jody Hice the court has acted as judge and jury and isn't taking seriously constitutional provisions meant for use only in extreme circumstances.
He compared the Colorado decision to Democrats' two impeachments of Trump while he was in office.
"We see the impeachment inquiry into Joe Biden beginning. People are saying, 'Well, this is tit for tat.' That's the problem you're going to have when you're using these tools so frequently that you never know if it's for justified means or political means," said Perkins. "This is doing great damage to our republic, and we cannot long stand if we continue to see this happen."
Perkins, the regular Washington Watch host, served in the Louisiana legislature and was a U.S. Senate candidate in the early 2000s. A staunch supporter of Israel, he has served as vice chair and chair of the U.S. Commission for International Religious Freedom.
"A lot of Christians are asking, 'What's going on here?' Look, this is a battle for our republic. This is a battle between good and evil," said the FRC leader. "It's much bigger than just the United States of America, quite frankly. This is what we read about in the New Testament. The lawless one is already at work, ushering in the Antichrist. This is setting the stage for that."
Three of the four Colorado justices who voted to remove Trump from the ballot attended Ivy League schools, Perkins noted. That's significant, he said, because it's further proof of America's slide from its biblical heritage.
"They all came from Ivy League schools – schools that had been created as divinity schools. What a picture of the apostasy in America when it comes to the Church."
Many believe the Colorado decision will be overturned by the Supreme Court. Veteran attorney Alan Dershowitz predicted on American Family Radio this week that a high court ruling could even be unanimous that Trump should remain on GOP primary ballots.
"This is a dramatic interference with the right of every citizen to vote on who our next president is going to be. It also flies in the face of the explicit text of the 14th Amendment," Dershowitz told show host Jenna Ellis.
Perkins: Colorado Supremes are symbolic of the times
But Perkins is convinced the Colorado decision remains symbolic of the times.
"And if we're to preserve the republic, it's going to require Christians in this country to once again understand the times and know what to do – and it's not to shrink back in silence. It's not to be intimidated, it's not to feel threatened, it's not even to be angry. It is to step forward with clarity and with boldness," he argued.
"By no means should we be quiet at this hour. Whether or not you like Donald Trump, you need to speak up. The Church needs to speak up with a voice and say, This cannot stand. We will not let it stand," he concluded.
