On Monday, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in a 9-0 decision that the "responsibility for enforcing Section 3 against federal officeholders and candidates rests with Congress and not the States" and that the "judgment of the Colorado Supreme Court therefore cannot stand." Given that Colorado held its primary on Super Tuesday, as did Maine, where the Democratic Secretary of State had also removed Trump from the ballot, this decision was especially timely. Sure enough, Trump won both of those states on Tuesday night as he comes that much closer to clinching the Republican nomination.
Polls closed in Maine at 8:00pm, and Trump was declared the winner right when they closed. With an estimated 25 percent reporting, Trump has 74.2 percent to Haley's 23.9 percent.
Decision Desk HQ projects Donald J. Trump wins the Maine Republican Primary.#DecisionMade: 8:00pm ET
— Decision Desk HQ (@DecisionDeskHQ) March 6, 2024
Follow results here: https://t.co/O7NnWaGfyb pic.twitter.com/qatki6u2eI
In Colorado, polls closed at 9:00pm EST, where the race was also called right when they closed. With an estimated 97 percent reporting, Trump enjoys 62 percent to Haley's 34.6 percent.
Decision Desk HQ projects Donald J. Trump wins the Colorado Republican Primary.#DecisionMade: 9:00pm ET
— Decision Desk HQ (@DecisionDeskHQ) March 6, 2024
Follow results here: https://t.co/pBMReUD1wK pic.twitter.com/k2chBZ7XW0
Given how quickly the races were called and the estimated vote total that's in so far, primary voters overwhelmingly selected Trump in both of those states, just as they have in others. Had all of those votes not been able to count, if the justices had not stepped in as they did, it would be a particularly obvious display of voter disenfranchisement. And yet Democrats, including President Joe Biden himself, dare to claim it's Trump who represents a threat to democracy.
Trump has managed to hold off former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, who has only won the D.C. Republican primary and may very well soon be suspending her campaign given that she did not give any public remarks on Tuesday night.
A single judge in Illinois had also decided to kick Trump off the ballot, just last week, even though the Trump v. Anderson decision was about to be handed down. The Illinois primary takes place on March 19.