Supreme court to consider case that could bar Trump from presidency – live

Former president Donald Trump.

LIVE – Updated at 14:11

Lawsuits filed against the former president claim he is ineligible to serve public office because he engaged in an insurrection on January 6.

What to watch for as supreme court considers if Trump is eligible to run

14:11

From the Guardian’s Cameron Joseph, here’s a primer of what to watch for as the supreme court hears arguments today over whether or not Donald Trump is eligible to run for president, because of his involvement in the January 6 insurrection.

The case is one of the most politically charged the court has ever faced, and there’s plenty of speculation over how the body, which is dominated by its six-justice conservative majority, will rule:

The US supreme court meets today to hear oral arguments on whether the 14th amendment of the constitution bars the former president Donald Trump from appearing on the ballot in Colorado and other states because of his role in the January 6 Capitol riot. The case is unprecedented: the clause has rarely been used since it became part of the constitution after the civil war in 1868, and it has never before been applied to a former president.

The oral arguments are expected to be something of a free-for-all, with nine justices asking about a bevy of unresolved constitutional issues. And the justices’ questions on Thursday could hint at exactly how they might rule.

What they have been asked to decide is whether Trump should not be allowed to run for president because of section three of the 14th amendment, which says no one who has taken an oath to support the constitution – typically administered when elected officials are sworn into office – and goes on to engage “in insurrection or rebellion” against the US, is allowed to hold public office again.

Many legal scholars and former government officials have made the case in briefs that the plain language of the amendment applies to Trump, but few expect the supreme court to, in effect, decide the 2024 election by disqualifying one of the main candidates. Court watchers suspect that they would rather not hear the case at all – and may seek to make as narrow a ruling as possible.

Supreme court to consider case that could bar Trump from presidency over January 6

13:56

Good morning, US politics blog readers. Beginning at 10am ET today, the supreme court will hear arguments in a case that could decide if Donald Trump is eligible to continue his run for president. A legal effort to keep the former president off ballots nationwide began last year, when advocacy groups filed lawsuits in various states, arguing the constitution bars Trump from serving because he engaged in an insurrection on January 6. State officials and judges in lower courts have come to different conclusions on the merits of these claims, but the most notable decision was rendered by the Colorado supreme court, which agreed with the plaintiffs and threw him off the state’s ballot. Trump appealed that ruling, and the nine justice of the nation’s highest court will consider the issue today.

The supreme court is dominated by its six-member conservative supermajority, three of whom Trump appointed. Today’s arguments will give a hint of how they’re thinking about an issue that legal scholars view as the most contentious political issue the court has waded into since Bush v Gore in 2000, the case that proved decisive in George W Bush winning that year’s presidential election. We’ll cover the arguments live here, and let you know how it’s looking.

Here’s what else is happening:

Haggling continues in Congress over passing legislation to provide Ukraine and Israel with military assistance. The ball is now in the Senate’s court, where Democrats are attempting to pass legislation to do that, but it is still unclear if Republicans will sign on.

Robert Hur, the special counsel appointed to investigate if Joe Biden mishandle classified documents, told attorney general Merrick Garland that he has completed his investigation, the Associated Press reports.

Marianne Williamson, a long-shot Democratic candidate, has dropped out of the race for president.