Following the recent Colorado Supreme Court ruling to exclude former President Donald Trump from the state’s primary ballot, the FBI has announced its decision to investigate threats directed at the justices involved. Vikki Migoya, spokeswoman for the FBI Denver Field Office, stated, “The FBI is aware of the situation and working with local law enforcement. We will vigorously pursue investigations of any threat or use of violence committed by someone who uses extremist views to justify their actions regardless of motivation.”
In a narrow 4-3 decision, the justices cited the 14th Amendment of the Constitution as the basis for not allowing Trump’s inclusion on Colorado’s ballot. They referenced Trump’s involvement in what they deemed an insurrection during the January 6, 2021, protest at the U.S. Capitol. The Trump campaign has vowed to challenge this decision by appealing to the U.S. Supreme Court.
Trump campaign spokesman Steven Cheung criticized the Colorado Supreme Court’s ruling, accusing them of supporting a left-wing group’s attempt to interfere in the election on behalf of Joe Biden. A report from Advance Democracy, an impartial research group, revealed that the Colorado justices have become targets of numerous threats, uncovering a troubling pattern of “significant violent rhetoric” online directed at the justices.
Posts cataloged by the organization included explicit threats to harm or attack the justices. Daniel Jones, President of Advance Democracy, expressed deep concern about the normalization of such aggressive language online and the apparent lack of action by social media platforms. He attributed part of this escalating rhetoric to Trump’s statements, which have cast doubt on and politicized judicial actions, contributing to violent discourse.
The justices’ decision, in alignment with a lower court’s ruling holding Trump accountable for inciting his supporters on January 6, invoked the insurrection clause of the 14th Amendment in relation to the former president. Similar legal disputes involving Trump have emerged in 13 other states, particularly in battlegrounds like Michigan and Arizona.
