The Colorado Supreme Court justices who barred Donald Trump from the Republican primary ballot in the state on the grounds of the 14th Amendment are receiving violent threats on social media platforms.
The Colorado court ruling comes through the US Constitution's insurrection clause with the argument being that he was in office and broke his oath during the 2021 attack on the Capitol after Joe Biden won the Presidential elections. The insurrection clause says Trump can't return to office unless two-thirds of Congress allows him back.
A report from Advance Democracy, a non-partisan non-profit organisation, revealed the presence of "significant violent rhetoric" against the justices and Democrats on social media platforms, according to CBS.
Advance Democracy President Daniel J. Jones said that they were seeing significant violent language and threats against the Colorado justices and others perceived to be behind Tuesday's Colorado Supreme Court ruling. "The normalisation of this type of violent rhetoric is cause for significant concern," he added.
Some of the most alarming threats were found on fringe websites, with one post calling to "behead judges" and "slam dunk a judge's baby into the trash can."
Some social media users have gone as far as sharing personal information such as email addresses, phone numbers and office building addresses of the justices, further escalating concerns about the safety and security of those involved in the legal decision.
Jones, a former FBI investigator and staffer for the Senate Intelligence Committee, told NBC that the normalisation of this violent rhetoric and lack of remedial action by social media entities is cause for significant concern. Trump's statements to delegitimise and politicise the actions of the courts serve as a key driver of the violent rhetoric, Jones said.
"Political leaders on both sides of the political aisle need to speak out against these calls for violence, and social media platforms need to reassess their role in hosting and promoting this rhetoric," he said.
The Colorado Supreme Court, in a 4-3 decision, recognised the importance of their ruling and the potential for public reaction. They emphasised their duty to apply the law impartially. This decision now leads to a legal showdown in the US Supreme Court over a key constitutional issue, which could impact Trump's eligibility for the presidency should the top court rule against him.
