Today’s hearings to impede Trump from participating in the 2024 campaign began in Denver, Colorado. The hearings are expected to last all week and will focus on whether Trump violated the 14th Amendment’s disqualification clause by engaging in insurrection on January 6, 2021.
The plaintiffs in the case are a group of Republican and unaffiliated voters who argue that Trump’s actions on January 6 were an attempt to overturn the results of the 2020 election and that he is therefore ineligible to hold office under the 14th Amendment. Trump’s attorneys argue that his role in the January 6 riot was limited to constitutionally-protected political speech.
The hearing today began with opening arguments from both sides. The plaintiffs’ attorneys argued that Trump’s words and actions on January 6 incited the mob that stormed the Capitol and that he is therefore responsible for the violence that occurred. Trump’s attorneys argued that the plaintiffs have not met the burden of proof required to show that Trump engaged in insurrection and that he is therefore eligible to run for president in 2024.
The hearing is expected to continue tomorrow with testimony from witnesses. The plaintiffs are expected to call witnesses who can testify about Trump’s actions and words in the lead-up to and on January 6, as well as about the impact of those actions on the January 6 riot. Trump’s attorneys are expected to call witnesses who can testify about Trump’s First Amendment rights and argue that his actions on January 6 were protected by the Constitution.
The outcome of this case could have a significant impact on the 2024 presidential election. If the judge rules in favor of the plaintiffs, Trump would be barred from running for president in Colorado. It is also possible that the case could be appealed to the Supreme Court, which could rule on whether Trump is eligible to run for president nationwide.
WATCH: Donald Trump 2024 ballot disqualification trial opens in Colorado