Video above: Trump fights effort to keep him off state ballots
TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody has signed on to an amicus brief with attorneys general from 24 other states to keep former President Donald Trump on the Colorado ballot.
The attorneys general signing on to the brief are all from states in which Trump either won the electoral votes in the 2020 election or have Republican governors. The Arizona House of Representatives and Arizona Senate, both controlled by Republicans, also signed the brief.
“The state court’s choice to declare former President Donald Trump an insurrectionist under Section 3 of the Fourteenth Amendment has vast consequences that reach far beyond Colorado,” the attorneys general argue.
The brief argues that the Fourteenth Amendment is not “self-executing,” and “anticipates” Congress should decide who is eligible for office.
“The Colorado court’s decision to dilute former President Trump’s votes in the upcoming election cannot stand for several reasons,” the brief reads. “It threatens to throw the 2024 presidential election into chaos.”
The brief also says Colorado used a loose definition of “insurrection” and that courts shouldn’t decide the word’s definition.
“Now that the Colorado court has intruded into an arena where courts previously have feared to tread, swift intervention is essential,” the brief states.
The attorneys general argue that the Supreme Court should side with Trump. The Supreme Court said on Friday that it would review the case.
Attorneys general from the following states signed the brief:
- Alabama
- Alaska
- Arkansas
- Florida
- Georgia
- Idaho
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- Montana
- Nebraska
- New Hampshire
- North Dakota
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- South Carolina
- South Dakota
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Utah
- Virginia
- Wyoming