House Republican Lauren Boebert has called for the recall of Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold after the Supreme Court unanimously ruled Donald Trump is eligible to be on the state's Republican primary ballot on Monday.
In December the Colorado Supreme Court ruled in favor of removing Trump from the ballot after concluding he had violated Section Three of the 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, a post-Civil War provision that deals with those who engaged in "insurrection."
Following Monday's ruling, Boebert, who represents Colorado's 3rd Congressional District, posted a statement on X, formerly Twitter, saying she was "actively building a grassroots coalition" to "begin the process of holding you accountable for your attack on our elections," with all legal options on the table "including a formal recall effort."
Responding to an X post by Griswold, a Democrat who supported the Colorado Supreme Court's decision to remove Trump from the ballot, Boebert later wrote: "You're unfit. Time for you to be RECALLED!"
Newsweek reached out to Griswold's press office via email at 8.30 a.m. ET on Tuesday. This article will be updated with a response if they wish to comment.
As Colorado secretary of state, Griswold acts as the state's chief election official, a role she has held since January 2019.
In its ruling on Monday, the Supreme Court concluded: "States have no power under the Constitution to enforce Section 3 [of the 14th Amendment] with respect to federal offices, especially the Presidency."
This overturned the earlier judgement of the Colorado Supreme Court which concluded Trump was ineligible to serve as president again as his attempt to overturn the 2020 presidential election, including the storming of Congress on January 6, 2021, constituted an "insurrection."
The 14th Amendment says no person shall "hold any office, civil of military" who engaged in "insurrection or rebellion" having previously swore an oath "to support the Constitution," as Trump did during his presidential inauguration.
In the statement, Boebert attacked Griswold for supporting the Colorado case, claiming "it is now even more clear Coloradans should have zero faith in you to adequately protect their right to vote and oversee elections in the state."
She added: "Actions speak louder than words and your actions have shown that once again, the Democrat Party in Colorado and across the country will do anything they can to rig the election against President Donald J. Trump...
"We are actively building a grassroots coalition of Coloradans and Americans to begin the process of holding you accountable for your attack on our elections and the voting rights of millions of Coloradans. All legal options available to us will be considered, including a formal recall effort."
Griswold posted her own statement in response to the judgment on X, saying: "I am disappointed in the U.S. Supreme Court's decision stripping states of the authority to enforce Section 3 of the 14th Amendment for federal candidates. Colorado should be able to bar oath-breaking insurrections from our ballot."
Boebert reposted her message adding: "The Supreme Court unanimously threw out this idiotic and unconstitutional argument...You have no business in the Secretary of State's office and shouldn't oversee an election in which you have shown a clear bias. You're unfit. Time for you to be RECALLED!"
Trump welcomed Monday's Supreme Court ruling on Truth Social, calling it a "BIG WIN FOR AMERICA!!!"
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James Bickerton is a Newsweek U.S. News reporter based in London, U.K. His focus is covering U.S. politics and world ... Read more
