The former president was barred from attending the Republican presidential primary over his role in the storming of the U.S. Capitol.
A judge in the US state of Illinois has barred former President Donald Trump from participating in the state's Republican presidential primary due to his involvement in the January 6, 2021 attack on the US Capitol.
But Cook County Circuit Judge Tracy Porter delayed the effective date of Wednesday's ruling to take into account President Trump's expected appeal.
In his ruling, Porter argued that the former president should be disqualified from the March 19 state primary ballot and the Nov. 5 general election ballot for violating the 14th Amendment's anti-insurrection clause. I sided with the Illinois voters who did.
The ultimate outcome of the Illinois case and similar cases will likely be determined by the U.S. Supreme Court, which heard arguments related to Trump's voting eligibility on February 8.
Porter said she would put her decision on hold as she looks forward to an appeal to the Illinois appellate court and a possible ruling from the U.S. Supreme Court.
Free Speech For People, the advocacy group that spearheaded the Illinois disqualification movement, hailed the ruling in a statement as a “historic victory.”
A campaign spokesperson for Trump, the nation's front-runner for the 2024 Republican nomination, said in a statement that the ruling was “unconstitutional and we will promptly appeal the ruling.”
Colorado and Maine earlier ruled that Trump was disqualified under Section 3 of the 14th Amendment and removed him from their state ballots.
Both decisions are on hold while Trump appeals.
Article 3 prohibits the removal from public office of anyone who takes an oath to support the Constitution and then “engages in insurrection or insurrection against the Constitution, or gives aid or comfort to enemies of the Constitution.”
On January 6, 2021, Trump supporters attacked police and swarmed the Capitol in an attempt to stop Congress from certifying Democrat Joe Biden's victory in the 2020 election. In advance of the attack, President Trump gave an inflammatory speech to his supporters, telling them to go to the Capitol and “fight like hell.” Afterwards, he did not respond to calls for hours urging the rioters to stop.
The Supreme Court is currently considering Trump's challenge to Colorado's disqualification.
The Washington justices appeared skeptical of the ruling during oral arguments in the case, expressing concern about states taking drastic actions that could affect national elections.
