©Reuters. FILE PHOTO: Former U.S. President and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump attends a Fox News town hall with Laura Ingraham in Greenville, South Carolina, U.S., February 20, 2024. REUTERS/Sam Wolfe/File Photo
(Reuters) – An Illinois state judge on Wednesday barred Donald Trump from appearing in Illinois’ Republican presidential primary due to his role in the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, but delayed the entry into force of his sentence in light of an expected appeal by the former US president.
Cook County Circuit Judge Tracie Porter sided with Illinois voters who argued that the former president should be disqualified from the state’s March 19 primary and Nov. 5 general election for violating the clause anti-insurrection of the 14th Amendment of the United States Constitution.
The final outcome of the Illinois case and similar challenges will likely be decided by the U.S. Supreme Court, which heard arguments regarding Trump’s eligibility to vote on Feb. 8.
Porter said he would put his decision on hold as he awaited his appeal to the Illinois appellate courts and a potential ruling from the U.S. Supreme Court.
The advocacy group Free Speech for the People, which led Illinois’ disqualification effort, praised the ruling as a “historic victory” in a statement.
A campaign spokesperson for Trump, the national favorite for the 2024 Republican nomination, said in a statement that this “is an unconstitutional ruling that we will quickly appeal.”
Colorado and Maine had previously removed Trump from state elections after determining he was disqualified under Section 3 of the 14th Amendment to the Constitution. Both decisions are on hold while Trump appeals.
Section 3 bars from public office anyone who has taken an oath to support the Constitution of the United States and then has “engaged in insurrection or rebellion against the same, or given aid or comfort to its enemies.”
Trump supporters on January 6, 2021 attacked police and invaded the Capitol in an attempt to stop Congress from certifying Democrat Joe Biden’s 2020 election victory. Trump gave an incendiary speech to supporters beforehand, telling them to go in the Capitol and “fight like hell.” So for hours he did not follow up on requests to urge the crowd to stop.
The Supreme Court is currently considering Trump’s challenge to his disqualification from Colorado. The Washington judges appeared skeptical of the decision during oral arguments in the case, expressing concern about states taking sweeping actions that could affect national elections.