Ramaswamy Removes Himself from Colorado Ballot Following Trump Ban

Presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy announced on Tuesday his decision to withdraw from Colorado's Republican primary ballot following the state Supreme Court's ruling that former President Donald Trump is ineligible to run in the state.

The court determined that Trump violated Section 3 of the 14th Amendment, which prohibits former officeholders engaged in insurrection against the U.S. from running again.

Ramaswamy pledges to withdraw from Colorado GOP primary in solidarity with Trump 🤣🤣🤣🤣

BYE, THEN. https://t.co/3mJrYU21NK

— •spooky•girl•cassiopeia•™ (@sadgirlcassi) December 20, 2023

The court cited Trump's involvement in the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot as constituting insurrection. Trump's spokesperson stated their intention to appeal the decision to the U.S. Supreme Court.

Ramaswamy pledged to stay off the ballot until Trump's eligibility is restored and called on other 2024 GOP primary opponents, including Ron DeSantis, Chris Christie, and Nikki Haley, to take similar steps.

He argued that failure to do so would imply endorsement of an "illegal maneuver" with disastrous consequences for the country.

Ramaswamy acknowledged that winning without Trump in the race might be easier but emphasized the importance of upholding the rule of law.

Expressing his opposition to the court's decision during a campaign event in Garner, Iowa, Ramaswamy called it "appalling for the future of our country."

He insisted that the move was not about him or any specific candidate but rather a violation of the rule of law.

When asked about the impact of withdrawing from the Colorado ballot on his path to the nomination, Ramaswamy predicted that every remaining Republican candidate would follow suit, suggesting that it wouldn't affect anyone's path to the nomination.

In response to Ramaswamy's announcement, the Colorado Republican Party clarified that he would not need to withdraw from the contest if the ruling stood because they would shift from a state-run primary to a party-run caucus.

However, such a change might necessitate approval from the Republican National Committee, which has already endorsed the state party's nomination plan.