Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) predicted on ABC This Week on Sunday that former President Donald Trump will be on the ballot in Colorado and will win the primary there.

Graham said, “This Colorado Supreme Court made a political decision. In my view, there is no constitutional basis for the decision they rendered. I think it will be a slam dunk in the Supreme Court. Donald Trump will eventually be on the ballot in Colorado. I think he will win the primary."

The Colorado Supreme Court ruled to remove Trump from the ballot there citing the 14th Amendment prohibition on people who participated in an "insurrection" from serving in elected office.

But here's the thing: Trump was never convicted of participating in an insurrection. In fact, the Senate acquitted him of doing so in his second impeachment trial in January of 2021.

Ruling is "chilling"

Graham continued, "You’ve got a lot of good choices in the Republican Party. But this ruling in Colorado is chilling to me. And it would set up a politicization of the presidential races. It would be bad for the country."

Several political figures and pundits have noted that if the decision to kick Trump off the ballot stands, it will lead to those tactics being used frequently against both parties, instead of letting voters choose.

That would be an alarming trend for the country and lead to a lessening of our democracy.

Voters are supposed to choose who to elect, and need to be given wide latitude to do so.

Looking at 2024

Graham was also asked whether he thinks Trump's comments about the 2020 election being fraudulent are “not setting the proper standard" for a presidential candidate.

He responded, “You know, Hillary Clinton had the same view that she was cheated. He’s not the first politician to claim to have been denied a fair election. But here’s what I would say: I accept the election results of 2020. I’m worried about 2024."

He argued that Trump should look forward to 2024 and not backward at this point.

"If President Trump puts the vision out, improving security and prosperity for Americans, he will win. If he looks back, I think he will lose. So, at the end of the day, the 2020 election’s over for me. We need to secure the ballot in the 2024 cycle," he insisted.

Trump has big lead

Graham has been even-handed in his support for Trump, criticizing him at times but praising him at other times.

As the 2024 election draws near, Trump has a 30 to 40-point lead nationally in GOP primary polling. He holds a small lead over President Joe Biden in national polling and a larger lead in swing states that usually decide elections.