‘Get Out of Jail Free Card for Insurrection’: Colorado Secretary of State Shreds Judge’s Ruling in Trump Case

Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold on MSNBC Saturday decried a ruling on Donald Trump’s eligibility to run for president as essentially being a “get out of jail free card.”

Colorado Judge Sarah Wallace on Friday ruled that Trump can remain on the ballot in the state, denying an effort to have his name removed in the March 5, 2024 Republican primary. That decision despite her finding and spelling out “in pretty plain English” that the petitioners did establish “Trump engaged in an insurrection on January 6, 2021 through incitement.”

MSNBC’s Ali Velshi called the decision “far from a victory,” but said the ruling was an “incredibly narrow reading” of the law and implied it simply didn’t make sense, a sentiment with which Griswold definitely agreed.

“The idea that any official who would engage in insurrection would be barred from taking office except the presidency is incredibly surprising,” said Griswold. “That basically means that the presidency is a ‘get out of jail free’ card for insurrection.”

“As someone who cares deeply about the state of our democracy, I find that very troubling,” she said.

VELSHI: Could the writers of The Insurrection Act really have intended to hold lower level government officers to a higher level of integrity than the person who holds the highest office in the land? And more immediately, can this possibly really be the end of the story in Colorado?

Well, I’m joined now by a person who’s very well positioned to answer that question. Joining me now is Janet Griswold, the Colorado Secretary of State, with whom we discussed this issue back in August. Secretary, good to see you. Thank you always for making the time to be with us. You said to me then, which literally almost every secretary of state in the country to whom NBC has spoken said, that you’re likely not going to be the last voice on this thing. You can do what you may think you need to do, but this is definitely going to the courts.

So that’s what happened in Colorado, it went to the courts, and lots of people are surprised by what happened yesterday. Are you?

GRISWOLD: Well, first of all, thanks for having me on, Ali. Always great to be on your show. And yes, this is a surprising ruling. I think you are really hitting it on the head.

The idea that any official who would engage in insurrection would be barred from taking office except the presidency is incredibly surprising. That basically means that the presidency is a ‘get out of jail free’ card for insurrection.

As someone who cares deeply about the state of our democracy, I find that very troubling. The American people need to know that the president, the person, if anybody, the person most in charge of protecting the Constitution, actually has a duty to do so.

So, I’m right there with you, I find it very troubling that the president of the United States could engage in insurrection and unlike everybody else, could then be president again.

Watch the clip above via MSNBC.