A weeklong trial has begun in Colorado to challenge former President Donald Trump's eligibility to seek office again. The trial focuses on the events of January 6, 2021, when a pro-Trump mob attacked the U.S. Capitol. Six Colorado voters have filed a lawsuit claiming that Trump's role in inciting the mob makes him ineligible to hold office under Section 3 of the 14th Amendment, which prohibits individuals engaged in insurrection from holding office.

In their opening statement, the plaintiffs' attorneys argued that Trump took an oath to support the Constitution, and the Jan. 6 attack was an insurrection in which he participated. They maintain that Colorado election officials can and should bar ineligible candidates from the ballot. Trump's attorneys did not dispute the first and fourth points, but they objected to the characterization of the attack as an insurrection and Trump's involvement in it.

The trial is expected to last a week, with a decision anticipated before Thanksgiving. If Trump is disqualified from the ballot, it could have significant implications for the 2024 election. Two similar lawsuits are also ongoing in other states, employing the same clause of the 14th Amendment to bar individuals who engaged in insurrection from holding office again. This legal battle may ultimately be decided by the Supreme Court.