Former President Donald Trump has filed a plea to the Supreme Court, requesting permission to remain on the Republican primary ballot in Colorado as he challenges a state ruling that deemed him ineligible due to his involvement in the January 6 attack on the Capitol. Trump's legal team submitted a brief outlining their stance ahead of oral arguments scheduled for February 8.

In December, the Colorado Supreme Court cited the 14th Amendment of the Constitution, which prohibits "an officer of the United States" who "engaged in insurrection" from running for federal offices, as the basis for their decision against Trump's eligibility. This case raises several unresolved legal questions, including if the constitutional language applies to presidential candidates and who holds the authority to determine whether someone engaged in insurrection.

Trump's lawyers emphasized these issues in their submission, asserting that a president is not considered an "officer of the United States," that Trump did not engage in insurrection, and that enforcement of the mentioned provision is the responsibility of Congress alone. Their filing urged the court to swiftly end these efforts to disqualify Trump from the primary ballots, warning that such actions could disenfranchise millions of Americans and disrupt the electoral process.

Earlier, a lower court judge had ruled that Trump had indeed taken part in the insurrection by inciting the Capitol riot, but argued that presidents are exempt from the insurrection clause of the 14th Amendment since they are not considered "officers of the United States." However, the state's highest court reversed this decision, and Trump's subsequent appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court put the ruling on hold indefinitely.

The outcome of this Supreme Court case could have implications for all 50 states. Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, a Democrat, filed a friend-of-the-court brief emphasizing the need for a definitive resolution on the matter. Benson highlighted a similar challenge in Michigan that was unsuccessful for the Republican primary but could be revisited for the general election in November. The involvement of high-ranking Republican officials, such as House Speaker Mike Johnson and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, who submitted a brief supporting Trump, underscores the significance and widespread interest in the case.

The lawsuit was originally filed by a left-leaning government watchdog group called Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington on behalf of six Colorado voters, with the support of two law firms. These parties, along with their supporters, have until the January 31 deadline to submit their own briefs to the Supreme Court, further shaping the legal arguments to be considered in the coming proceedings.