Politics
Michigan Supreme Court keeps Trump on 2024 Primary ballot
By Jake Beardslee · December 27, 2023
In brief…
- Michigan Supreme Court rejects attempt to remove Trump from 2024 primary ballot
- Contrasts Colorado disqualification of Trump under 14th Amendment and Capitol riot
- Decision keeps Trump on ballot, unlike Colorado ruling
The Michigan Supreme Court rejected an attempt to remove former President Donald Trump from the state’s 2024 Republican primary ballot, according to a ruling by Justice Elizabeth Welch on Wednesday. This keeps Trump on the ballot after the Colorado Supreme Court previously disqualified him last week under the 14th Amendment related to the Capitol riot.
Welch explained Michigan’s election laws differ from Colorado’s “in a material way” regarding presidential primaries. The Colorado ruling followed an extensive trial court evidentiary proceeding to resolve complicated legal issues. Trump plans to appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court regarding the Colorado decision which has been temporarily stayed.
The 14th Amendment states no person can hold office if they previously engaged in insurrection after taking an oath to support the Constitution. However, Welch said the appellants in Michigan “have identified no analogous provision” requiring presidential candidates to legally qualify for office.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump called the Michigan decision a rejection of the “Desperate Democrat attempt to take the leading Candidate in the 2024 Presidential Election, me, off the ballot.” He said the “pathetic gambit to rig the Election has failed” across the country except for Colorado.