Despite the predictable outrage from the Right, polling from YouGov finds that a U.S. majority is in favor of the recent decision by the Colorado Supreme Court that former President Donald Trump is not Constitutionally eligible for appearing on ballots in the state, though that high court in the Western state held off their ruling from taking effect just yet.
The decision emerged in a case originating with a group of Coloradans, the government watchdog organization Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW), and others. Their challenge sought Trump’s removal on the basis of the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which blocks individuals who previously took an oath of office and then engaged in insurrection from later holding office again. The connection made to Trump was the violence of January 6, 2021, for which a lower-level judge in the state had already held Trump responsible. That other judge had simply declined to apply the cited Constitutional standards to the office of the presidency.
Among all adults, that YouGov polling found 38 percent saying they “strongly” approve of the Colorado decision and 16 percent indicating they “somewhat” support it, combining to 54 percent. Among independents, 48 percent approved. Even among Republicans, 24 percent were in favor of the move, though this already known anti-Trump bloc in the GOP has not proven large enough to actually thwart his path to the GOP’s presidential nomination for 2024 so far. The polling was conducted December 20, meaning Wednesday of this week.
Other survey work has found similarly high levels of support for some of the other serious consequences Trump has faced, like what have become four criminal cases across the same number of jurisdictions and both the federal and state levels. Currently, the perhaps first case to reach trial is pending before the U.S. Supreme Court as Special Counsel Jack Smith seeks the Justices’ intervention to more quickly resolve disputes originating with Trump that could thwart a timely trial if allowed to linger. This case involves Trump’s attempts after the 2020 election to retain power despite losing.
