A Michigan judge ruled Tuesday that former President Donald Trump will remain on the state’s primary ballot, dealing a blow to the effort to stop Trump’s candidacy with a Civil War-era Constitutional clause.
Quick Read
- Michigan Judge’s Ruling on Trump’s Candidacy: A Michigan judge ruled that former President Donald Trump will stay on the state’s primary ballot, despite efforts to disqualify him based on a Civil War-era Constitutional clause.
- Rejection of Arguments Against Trump: Court of Claims Judge James Redford dismissed claims that Trump’s involvement in the Jan. 6 Capitol attack necessitated his disqualification from the presidency.
- Legal Basis for Decision: Redford stated Trump complied with state laws for primary ballot qualification, and thus could not be removed by the court.
- Congressional Responsibility Highlighted: The judge emphasized that it should be Congress’s role to determine Trump’s eligibility under the 14th Amendment, which bars those who engaged in insurrection from holding office.
The Associated Press has the story:
Michigan judge says Trump stays on primary ballot, rejecting challenge under insurrection clause
Newslooks- DETROIT (AP)
A Michigan judge ruled Tuesday that former President Donald Trump will remain on the state’s primary ballot, dealing a blow to the effort to stop Trump’s candidacy with a Civil War-era Constitutional clause.
Court of Claims Judge James Redford rejected arguments that Trump’s role in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol meant the court had to declare him ineligible for the presidency.
Redford wrote that, because Trump followed state law in qualifying for the primary ballot, he cannot remove the former president. Additionally, he said, it should be up to Congress to decide whether Trump is disqualified under a section of the U.S. Constitution’s 14th Amendment that bars from office a person who “engaged in insurrection.”
“The judicial action of removing a candidate from the presidential ballot and prohibiting them from running essentially strips Congress of its ability to ‘by a vote of two-thirds of each House, remove such a disability,’” Redford wrote.
