CLEVELAND — The Colorado Supreme Court ruled on Tuesday that former President Donald Trump is constitutionally ineligible for public office due to his role in the Jan. 6, 2021 riot on the U.S. Capitol. 

What You Need To Know

  • The Colorado Supreme Court ruled that former President Donald Trump is barred from the state's 2024 primary ballot 

  • The landmark decision is focused on the 14th Amendment

  • The Trump campaign vows to appeal the ruling to the U.S. Supreme Court

The historic decision disqualifies Mr. Trump from appearing on the 2024 presidential primary ballot in Colorado. The court cited Section 3 of the 14th Amendment, a provision which bars public officials from holding office again if they took an oath to support the Constitution and then engaged in "insurrection or rebellion" against the U.S.

"The bottom line is that whether the Colorado Supreme Court got it right or not, President Trump will appear on the primary ballot in Colorado," said Jonathan Entin, a law professor at Case Western Reserve University.

"The court, right at the end of the opinion, said, 'Well, our ruling won't take effect until January 4, which is the day before the deadline for finalizing your primary ballot....but it won't take effect if there's an appeal going on at that time," Entin said.

Trump's campaign said the former president will appeal the ruling.