Barr Claims Colorado Ruling to Block Trump from Ballot Will Backfire
Former Attorney General Bill Barr criticized the Colorado Supreme Court's decision on Wednesday, which bars former President Trump from the state's primary ballot.
In a CNN interview, Barr, who served as Trump's attorney general but opposes his candidacy in the GOP primary, focused his criticism on the process rather than the decision's substance.
Barr says Colorado court's Trump ruling 'legally wrong,' will 'backfire' https://t.co/XtuQCNH2KG
— Bo Snerdley (@BoSnerdley) December 21, 2023
He expressed his belief that the U.S. Supreme Court is likely to overturn the ruling and cautioned that such actions might inadvertently boost Trump's chances.
Barr emphasized his strong opposition to Trump's Republican nomination but argued that the Colorado case was legally flawed and untenable.
He warned against employing hyper-aggressive legal tactics to sideline Trump from the race, asserting that such strategies could backfire by fueling Trump's sense of grievance.
The Colorado Supreme Court ruled that Trump's involvement in and exacerbation of the Jan. 6 Capitol riots warranted his disqualification from the state's ballot under the 14th Amendment.
Barr refrained from expressing agreement or disagreement with the case's merits but criticized the expedited trial process, asserting that the denial of due process was the core problem.
Barr contended that a case of such magnitude should involve months of discovery, complex arguments, and numerous witnesses, drawing a comparison to Trump's federal indictment related to the 2020 election.
He noted that the federal case does not accuse Trump of inciting an insurrection. Barr expressed his expectation that the U.S. Supreme Court would promptly take up the Colorado case and overturn the ruling.
He raised concerns about potential chaos if the decision is allowed to stand, with states frequently using the 14th Amendment to exclude national politicians from ballots.
Trump's legal team has urged the Supreme Court to carefully consider whether to take up the case, and Trump remains on the Colorado ballot pending a federal Supreme Court decision.
