A candidate for U.S. Congress from Colorado says that the four Colorado Supreme Court judges who ruled to leave Donald Trump off the state's presidential primary ballot next year should be tried for treason, a crime punishable by death.
Last week, the Colorado Supreme Court ruled in a 4-3 decision that the former president violated the 14th Amendment by engaging in insurrection. The decision followed a lawsuit filed by six Colorado voters to bar Trump from the state's presidential ballot and came one month after a lower Colorado court ruled that Trump engaged in insurrection based on his actions on January 6, 2021.
Trump and his supporters have lashed out at the decision, calling it politically motivated and expressing hope that a higher court will reverse the decision prior to the GOP primaries in 2024. The former president and Republican presidential front-runner, whose behavior associated with the Capitol riot is also under federal investigation, has denied all wrongdoing and that he engaged in insurrection.
Trent Leisy, a U.S. Navy veteran and business owner who currently serves as a councilman in Weld County, is running for a seat in the state's 4th Congressional District. The seat is currently held by Republican Ken Buck, who recently announced he would not be running for reelection and has criticized his conservative colleagues who maintain that the 2020 presidential election was stolen.
His retirement was celebrated by Trump, who called Buck "a weak and ineffective Super RINO [Republican In Name Only]."
Leisy told Newsweek via email on Thursday that Americans have a "God-given right" to vote, and that the Constitution "clearly states no citizen of the United States shall be denied the right to vote."
"Since four of the all-Democrat-appointed Supreme Court justices have decided to betray our constitution, attempt to take our rights away, and stop us from voting for Rightful President Trump even if we write-in his name, they should definitely be tried for treason," Leisy said. "And for their sake, I hope it's not an all-Republican-appointed court that oversee their cases."
He made similar comments to the local NBC TV affiliate KUSA via email earlier this week.
Leisy, who declared his candidacy in June, has shared the same sentiment across his social media accounts.
In one Facebook post, he asked why Congress, the "judicial system" and the Department of Justice "ignored the stolen 2020 election."
"Because it would've exposed them of TREASON, as well!" he said.
Another post refers to the court's decision as "unlawful, unconstitutional & pure treason!"
He, along with other local conservatives, is hosting a "Never Surrender" convoy/rally on December 30 at DCF Guns in Colorado Springs, requesting all Coloradans of any political affiliation to peacefully protest against the "four traitor justices."
A press release posted on his Facebook page lists the names of the four judges, who since the ruling have been threatened. In response, the FBI and Denver Police Department have upped security around the judges' residences.
"I want to clarify one thing: Rightful President Trump has my full endorsement," Leisy said in a statement accompanying the protest's press release. "President Trump is and has always been the clear leader of the Republican Party.
"I am calling on all other candidates running for Colorado's 4th Congressional District to join me and publicly fight for and defend President Trump."
Leisy has also said that if elected, he would introduce legislation allowing for an American president to serve three terms, citing Trump's 2020 loss due to "a fraudulent election."
DCF Guns, the location of the protest, is owned by conservative activist Joe Oltmann—who in the past has said he would like to see Democratic Colorado Governor Jared Polis and radical leftists executed as traitors, according to video posted online by Colorado-based journalist Kyle Clark.
"You are a traitor. That's what I said to Governor Polis," Oltmann said on his Conservative Daily podcast, laughing. "Gallows. I'd stretch that rope."
He also said: "I want to send the major media to the gallows, radical leftists to the gallows, traitors to our nation to the gallows."
Update 12/28/23, 7:52 a.m. ET: This story was updated with comment from Trent Leisy.
Corrected 01/18/24 at 2:27 p.m. ET: Corrected to remove reference to death threats by Joe Oltmann
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
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Nick Mordowanec is a Newsweek reporter based in Michigan. His focus is reporting on Ukraine and Russia, along with social ... Read more
