Former President Donald Trump has issued a cautionary message to the Supreme Court, emphasizing potential disorder and confusion if he is excluded from the Colorado ballot. In his plea to the court, Trump urged for a prompt and conclusive resolution to thwart attempts aimed at disqualifying him from the presidential ballot, asserting that such endeavors could jeopardize the voting rights of tens of millions of Americans and lead to widespread chaos.

Trump presented this argument in his primary submission to the court ahead of the oral arguments scheduled for February 8. These proceedings are in connection to his earlier request for the court to overturn a significant decision by a Colorado court. This decision, related to Trump’s actions linked to the Capitol violence on January 6, 2021, has the potential to prevent him from appearing on the state’s ballot.

The former president has not confirmed whether he will attend the upcoming arguments, where he would be confronted by the three justices he appointed, along with the rest of the bench. Despite actively participating in civil trials in New York for alleged business fraud and defamation, Trump has been conspicuously silent on his plans for the Supreme Court proceedings.

Various Republican entities, including the Republican National Committee, GOP congressional leaders, attorneys general, secretaries of state, and other party officials nationwide, have filed supporting briefs endorsing Trump as the frontrunner for the nomination.

Colorado’s Supreme Court recently ruled that Trump, based on a Reconstruction era provision in the 14th Amendment, should be barred from seeking another term and consequently be excluded from the state’s primary ballot. This decision is currently on hold pending the outcome of Trump’s appeal. Similar decisions in other states, such as Maine, are also awaiting resolution.

Trump’s legal arguments contend that the insurrection provision of the 14th Amendment does not apply to former presidents. Even if it were applicable, Trump’s legal team asserts that he did not engage in any actions qualifying as insurrection. The Colorado Supreme Court, which was divided 4-3 on the disqualification question, argued that the evidence indicated Trump’s active support for the insurrectionists and their illegal objective of obstructing the peaceful transfer of power.