Michigan Supreme Court rejects bid to remove Trump from 2024 ballot

The Michigan Supreme Court on Wednesday rejected an appeal from a group of voters in the state who challenged former President Donald Trump’s candidacy for the presidency under the Constitution’s “insurrection clause.”

The voters sought disqualification of Trump under the provision in the Constitution that bars people who have engaged in “insurrection or rebellion” from holding office if they have previously sworn an oath to the United States.

However, the Michigan ruling has allowed Trump to remain on the ballot in contrast to a decision by Colorado’s apex court last week to disqualify him under the same constitutional provision.

According to CBS, in a brief order, the state high court denied a request from four voters to review a Michigan Court of Appeals decision that allowed Trump to remain on the Republican presidential primary ballot.

The Michigan Supreme Court, composed of seven justices, said it is “not persuaded that the questions presented should be reviewed by this court.” The order was not signed, and a vote count was not noted.

One justice, Elizabeth Welch, dissented and wrote the only legal issue properly before the state supreme court is whether the lower courts erred in finding the Michigan secretary of state lacks the authority to exclude Trump’s name from the presidential primary ballot.
Welch wrote that she agreed with the Court of Appeals that Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson must place Trump on the primary ballot regardless of whether he is disqualified from holding office under Section 3 of the 14th Amendment, known as the “insurrection clause.”