Why a 91-year-old Colorado Republican said 'hell yes' to taking Trump to the Supreme Court

When asked to join a lawsuit challenging former President Donald Trump’s Colorado campaign eligibility under the 14th Amendment’s insurrectionist ban, the short answer that 91-year-old Norma Anderson gave was “yes.”

The long answer, as reported by the Washington Post on Monday, was “Hell yes.”

Anderson is the subject of an in-depth profile exploring the clash between classic and modern conservatives faced with a controversial candidate with a problematic past.

The former Republican’s case against Trump — namely that his actions leading up to the U.S. Capitol riots on Jan. 6 violated the amendment’s Section 3 — will be heard by the Supreme Court Thursday.

“He tried to overturn an election,” Anderson told the Post. “The very first time I ever ran, I didn’t win. I didn’t go out and try to change the election. I said, ‘Whoops, work harder next time, lady.’”

Anderson joined the lawsuit at the behest of Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington after another state Republican, Pam Anderson, turned down a request from attorney Mario Nicolais but suggested he ask her mother-in-law, the Post reports.

Nicolais was reportedly delighted by the idea.

Less delighted was Trump campaign spokesman Steven Cheung, who called CREW a Democrat “front group” and the case plaintiffs RINOs — Republicans in name only, the Post reports.

That’s also Anderson’s critique of Trump, a candidate the former Republican lawmaker refused to vote for in 2016 and 2020, the Post reports. Anderson ultimately quit the party in 2018.

“I’m the Republican,” Anderson said. “They aren’t.”

Anderson served as Colorado’s first female House majority leader and during her tenure oversaw the creation of Colorado’s Transportation department and visiting nurse program, the Post reports.

Former colleagues say she brooked no nonsense with political bullies on either side of the aisle, according to the report.

“Nobody pushed Norma around,” said Dick Wadhams, former chairman of the Colorado Republican Party.

Anderson told the Post she knows the Supreme Court case could go either way, but her reasons for joining the lawsuit are larger than the Colorado state ballot.

She wants Americans to “realize how serious January 6th was,” Anderson told the Post, and “dear Donald was part of it.”

Read the full profile here.