Minutes after his lawyers ended their fight to keep him on the ballot, former President Donald Trump stepped out of his Mar-a-Lago home and declared he was happy with the way the arguments at the Supreme Court had gone.
He cut a relaxed figure on the steps of his Florida club as he said it was “beautiful” to hear.
His lawyers had made “strong arguments,” he added, about the potential dangers of removing the 2024 front-runner from the ballot.
But while discussing the hearing, he became angry at how he said his words on January 6, 2021 had been misrepresented and briefly appeared to suggest that events amounted to an insurrection before correcting himself.
“I heard it and I watched it and all I will say is they kept saying about what I said right after the uprising,” he said.
Former President Donald Trump said Thursday he was pleased with the way the arguments at the Supreme Court went
Sen. Roger Marshall R-Kan. and Sen. Tommy Tuberville R-Ala. speak to reporters outside the U.S. Supreme Court
“Because I think it was an insurrection caused by Nancy Pelosi.
“This was an insurrection… if it was an insurrection, because there was, there was nothing… except the fact that they shot Ashley Babbitt.”
Babbitt was a Trump supporter who joined the mob that invaded the Capitol before being shot and killed by a police officer.
On Thursday, Trump supporters lined up to secure seats on the Supreme Court to hear arguments that overshadowed some of the day’s events and once again underscored the unprecedented nature of the former president’s campaign.
And it’s exactly the kind of case that judges would rather avoid, appointing the nation’s highest court as the final decider in a political dispute.
The stakes couldn’t be higher for the former president.
Last year, the Colorado Supreme Court ruled that Trump incited the attack on the U.S. Capitol, “an insurrection,” making him ineligible to run in the state’s primary.
On Thursday, the justices appeared skeptical of the Colorado attorneys’ arguments.
That was all good news for Trump as he prepared to travel to Nevada, where he is on track to win the Republican caucuses by a huge margin.
He emerged from his Florida headquarters minutes after the arguments ended.
“I believe in the Supreme Court,” he told DailyMail.com. ‘I listened today. Our arguments were very, very strong.
Trump said he listened to the arguments on Thursday morning. He cut a relaxed figure as he left his Mar-a-Lago home just after the arguments ended
DailyMail.com was one of a small number of journalists at Mar-a-Lago on Thursday
Supporters and opponents of Trump gathered in front of the Supreme Court on Thursday
‘One argument that is very important is the fact that you are in the lead in every race, in every state.
“You’re leading the country against both Republicans and Democrats and Biden.”
“And can you take the person leading everywhere and say, Hey, we’re not going to let you run away? You know, I think that’s pretty hard to do.”
His warm words contrasted with his frequent appearances outside other courthouses, where he railed against judges, court staff and prosecutors who he said were launching a witch hunt against him.
And it reflected the consensus view that the nine justices appeared poised to keep him on the ballot, overturning the Colorado Supreme Court’s ruling.
Judges there decided that Section 3 of the 14th Amendment excluded him. But it is the first time that a part of the Constitution, initially added to prevent Confederate leaders from taking on official roles after the Civil War, has been applied to a presidential candidate.
Although it only applies to Colorado, any decision will have a national impact, with other states likely to follow the precedent, derailing Trump’s election hopes.
This shows Trump urging his supporters to march on the Capitol on January 6, 2021, to prevent Congress from certifying Joe Biden’s election victory. That day overshadows his 2024 run
The 14th Amendment has been around since 1868, but the Supreme Court has never before considered Section 3, known as the Rebellion Clause. Pictured: January 6 riot at the Capitol
His lawyers are making a series of arguments to say the law has been misapplied.
They say the January 6 attack was not an insurrection. And even if it was, Trump didn’t participate. He even used the word “peaceful” that day when he called on his supporters to protest.
They also say that the wording of the relevant clause is intended to apply to “officials” who take an oath – and not to presidents or candidates to become president.
Furthermore, Colorado does not have the power to disqualify Trump. Congress must implement procedures that govern the process.
In the meantime, the case has allowed Trump to raise campaign money.
“The fights have already started,” he said in an emailed call Thursday morning. “So right now, I’m calling on EVERY pro-Trump patriot to do their part and proudly say: KEEP PRESIDENT TRUMP ON MY VOTE!”
