The FBI, in collaboration with local law enforcement agencies, is actively investigating a series of alarming online threats directed at Colorado Supreme Court justices following their recent decision to disqualify former President Donald Trump from the 2024 presidential primary election. This decision, rendered on December 19, 2023, was based on the justices’ determination that Trump’s actions leading up to the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot constituted “engaging in insurrection,” thereby disqualifying him from holding office under the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.
The ruling, which overturned a lower court’s decision challenging the applicability of the 14th Amendment to the president, has triggered a disturbing surge in violent rhetoric and intimidation targeting the justices and Democrats. This unsettling wave has manifested prominently on various social media platforms, particularly on pro-Trump forums, extremist websites, and Truth Social—a newly launched platform by Trump himself.
A report by Advance Democracy, a public interest research nonprofit, has shed light on the severity of the situation. Numerous posts discovered on these platforms have advocated for extreme measures, including calls for the killing, beheading, or roundhouse kicking of the justices. One particularly alarming post suggested, “What do you call 7 justices from the Colorado Supreme Court at the bottom of the ocean? A good start.”
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Daniel J. Jones, the president of Advance Democracy, expressed deep concern over the violent language and threats, emphasizing the need for immediate action by social media entities to curb the dissemination of such dangerous rhetoric. Jones highlighted the lack of remedial measures as a cause for significant apprehension.
In response to these threats, FBI spokesperson Vikki Migoya issued a statement asserting the agency’s awareness of the situation and its collaboration with local law enforcement. “We will vigorously pursue investigations of any threat or use of violence committed by someone who uses extremist views to justify their actions regardless of motivation,” Migoya stated.
The Denver Police Department has also taken proactive measures, increasing patrols near the residences of the targeted justices and offering additional support upon request. A spokesperson for the department confirmed the response to an apparent hoax report at a justice’s home on Thursday, underscoring the seriousness with which they are treating these threats.
While the Colorado Judicial Department declined to comment on “security-related matters,” the Colorado Supreme Court, in an unsigned opinion, unequivocally declared, “President Trump is disqualified from holding the office of president.” The court further asserted that listing Trump as a candidate on the presidential primary ballot would be a wrongful act under the election code.
