Following the Colorado Supreme Court's ruling that banned Donald Trump from the state's ballot based on the U.S. Constitution's insurrection clause in the 14th Amendment, President Joe Biden said on Wednesday there is no question that the former chief executive led an insurrection, but he refused to weigh in on the legal argument, Politico reported.
Trump "certainly supported an insurrection. No question about it. None. Zero," Biden said during a trip to Milwaukee. "It's self-evident. You saw it all. Now whether the 14th Amendment applies, I'll let the court make that decision."
Biden's remarks were typical of the delicate balance that Democrats have tried to portray after the court's ruling.
The White House declined to comment at all, with press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre telling reporters, "I cannot comment on anything that is related to an upcoming election like 2024. And this is a legal process, so I'm just not going to comment.
"What I can say is the president's not involved," she added, according to the Washington Examiner reported.
Democrats apparently were concerned that staging a celebration would play into Trump's hands, enraging his backers and giving him further evidence to argue that the judicial system was biased against him, according to Politico.
A senior Democrat strategist, speaking candidly on condition of anonymity, said, "It just kind of adds to the pile of wood that he puts on the fire. And I just don't think it's helpful.”
Longtime party operative David Axelrod, said: "I would not engage in a discussion about this. I would be preparing to face Trump. The way they're handling it is the right way. You don't want to tell the American people, I don't trust you to make the decision."
Democrat officials also dismissed the idea that the court decision might lead to a conservative state judicial body responding by banning Democrats from their ballot, with Pat Dennis, president of the Democrat super PAC American Bridge 21st Century, saying: "If you're worrying about that, you're buying into a Republican premise, which is that courts are hopelessly politicized. And I think that is like a fundamental premise that they need in order to delegitimize a legitimate prosecution of the former president. I don't buy that premise."