Colorado GOP and Trump aides scramble to arrange next steps after disqualification ruling: report

Following the Colorado Supreme Court's Tuesday, December 19 ruling to keep Donald Trump off the 2024 Republican primary ballot under the 14th Amendment, the state's GOP chairman, Dave Williams, ex-Trump White House aide Clayton Henson, and others behind the MAGA hopeful's campaign huddled Thursday to decide the team's next steps, Politico reports.

Per the report, "Williams said that the Colorado GOP will appeal the Colorado court's decision — holding that Trump was invalidated from appearing on the ballot because he'd incited an insurrection on Jan. 6 — to the Supreme Court. Depending on how the U.S. Supreme Court ruled, he said, the party would ask the Republican National Committee for a waiver to hold a caucus instead of a primary election."

The GOP chair said, "I certainly expressed to Clayton you know, Colorado Republicans would love to see [Trump] come out so that they can, you know, give them a good show of support. And I'm sure he'll go ahead and pass that on to the president. We would welcome him to come out but we understand if he needs to focus on Iowa."

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The news outlet notes, "Trump's Republican rivals and critics have rallied to his defense in the aftermath of the Colorado decision. Fresh fundraising pleas were blasted out to supporters. The Trump campaign sent out a list of 55 elected officials, political allies, and Trump-friendly legal experts ranging from House Speaker Mike Johnson to Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) criticizing the Colorado court decision. And Trump, as he’s prone to do, leaned into the ruling by playing the victim."

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Politico's full report is here.