A longshot legal bid in multiple US states to disqualify Donald Trump from the 2024 US presidential ballot has pulled off a shock victory in Colorado.

The strategy involves trying to block Mr Trump from the primary ballot by invoking a rarely used provision of the US Constitution - Section 3 of the 14th Amendment - that bars those who have “engaged in insurrection or rebellion” against the country from holding federal office.

Initially backed by liberal activists, the theory gained more prominence in recent months as some conservatives also embraced it.

The Colorado Supreme Court was the first to side with the theory, removing Mr Trump from the state’s 2024 presidential ballot in a ruling published the week before Christmas.

It is the first time that Section 3 of the 14th Amendment has been used to disqualify a presidential candidate.