Minutes after his lawyers finished fighting to keep him on the ballot, former President Donald Trump emerged from his Mar-a-Lago home and declared that he was delighted with the way the Supreme Court arguments had gone.
He appeared relaxed on the steps of his Florida club and said it had been “beautiful” to listen to.
His lawyers had made “strong” arguments, he added, about the potential dangers of removing the 2024 favorite from the vote.
But as he spoke about the hearing, he grew angry at the way he said his words on Jan. 6, 2021, had been twisted and momentarily seemed to suggest the events amounted to an insurrection, before correcting himself.
“I listened and I watched, and the only thing I will say is that they continued to say what I said right after the insurrection,” he said.
Former President Donald Trump said he was pleased with the way arguments went at the Supreme Court on Thursday.
Sen. Roger Marshall, R-Kan. and Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Alabama. talk to reporters outside the US Supreme Court
‘Because I believe it was an insurrection caused by Nancy Pelosi.
“This was an insurrection…if it was an insurrection because there was one, there was nothing…except the fact that Ashley Babbitt was shot.”
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 overnight to secure seats inside the Supreme Court to hear arguments that revisited some of the events of that day and once again highlighted the unprecedented nature of the former president’s campaign.
And it’s exactly the kind of case the justices prefer to avoid, placing the country’s highest court as the ultimate decider in a political dispute.
The stakes could not 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 were skeptical of the arguments presented by Colorado lawyers.
This 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 wide margin.
He left his Florida headquarters minutes after the discussions ended.
“I believe in the Supreme Court,” he told DailyMail.com. “Today I listened.” Our arguments were very, very strong.
Trump said he had heard the arguments Thursday morning. He cut a relaxed figure when he left his Mar-a-Lago home just after the arguments concluded.
DailyMail.com was among a small number of journalists at Mar-a-Lago on Thursday.
Trump supporters and opponents gathered outside the Supreme Court on Thursday
‘One argument that is very important is the fact that you are leading in all races, you are leading in all states.
“You’re leading the country against the Republicans, the Democrats and Biden.”
‘And can you take the person leading everywhere and say, Hey, we’re not going to let you run? You know, I think that’s pretty hard to do.
His warm words contrasted with his frequent appearances outside other courthouses, where he has criticized judges, court staff and prosecutors who he claims are engaged in a witch hunt against him.
And it reflected the consensus opinion that the nine justices seemed willing to keep it on the ballot, overturning the Colorado Supreme Court’s ruling.
The judges decided that Section 3 of the 14th Amendment ruled it out. But it is the first time that part of the Constitution, initially added to prevent Confederate leaders from assuming official roles after the Civil War, has been applied to a presidential candidate.
Although it applies only to Colorado, any decision will have a national impact, and other states are likely to follow the precedent, derailing Trump’s electoral hopes.
Trump is seen here urging his supporters to march on the Capitol on January 6, 2021 to prevent Congress from certifying Joe Biden’s election victory. That day he eclipses his career in 2024.
The 14th Amendment has been around since 1868, but the Supreme Court had never before considered Section 3, known as the insurrection clause. In the photo, January 6 riots at the Capitol.
His lawyers are deploying a series of arguments to say the law was applied incorrectly.
They say the January 6 attack was not an insurrection. And even if it was, Trump did not participate. He even used the word “peacefully” that day when he called on his followers to protest.
They also say the wording of the relevant clause is designed to apply to “officials” who take the oath, not presidents or presidential candidates.
On top of all that, Colorado does not have the power to disqualify Trump. Congress needs to implement procedures that regulate the process.
Meanwhile, the case has allowed Trump to raise money for his campaign.
“Discussions have already begun,” he said in an emailed appeal Thursday morning. “So right now, I call on ALL pro-Trump patriots to contribute and proudly say: KEEP PRESIDENT TRUMP ON MY BALLOT!”