Michigan Appeals Court Rules in Favor of Trump’s 2024 Presidential Ballot
Michigan’s Appeals Court recently handed down a verdict in favor of allowing former President Donald J. Trump to remain on the 2024 presidential primary ballot, dismissing legal challenges brought forth by plaintiffs who questioned Trump’s eligibility under the Insurrection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment.
In a previous report by The Gateway Pundit, it was noted that a Michigan judge threw out a challenge aimed at preventing Trump from appearing on the state’s ballot for the 2024 presidential election.
Judge James Robert Redford’s ruling stated, “The Fourteenth Amendment arguments of plaintiffs present a political question that is nonjusticiable at the present time.” Redford also noted that Michigan law dictates that Democrat Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson lacks the authority to interfere in a primary election where a political party lists a candidate who may not qualify for the office. He emphasized that the ultimate decision is made by the respective political party with the consent of the listed candidate.
Ron Fein, attorney for the petitioners and legal director of Free Speech For People, expressed an intention to appeal the decision, stating, “While our appeal is pending, the trial court’s decision isn’t binding on any other court, and we continue our current and planned legal actions in other states to enforce Section 3 of the Fourteenth Amendment against Donald Trump.”
The Michigan Court of Appeals upheld the Wayne County Election Commission and the Secretary of State’s lack of authority to investigate a presidential candidate’s potential disqualification under the Fourteenth Amendment’s clauses, emphasizing the strictly administrative role of election officials in Michigan and the limited scope of their authority in determining candidates’ eligibility for primary ballots.
The court ruled, “Whether Trump is disqualified is irrelevant to his placement on that particular ballot.” ABC News reported that the Michigan court upheld two lower courts’ rulings by rejecting an appeal filed by Free Speech For People on behalf of a group of Michigan voters.
The court said in a 3-0 opinion that the plaintiff’s challenge was not “ripe” on procedural grounds and did not specifically rule on whether Trump fell under the disqualification clause, emphasizing, “It would be improper to decide whether to grant a declaration that Trump is disqualified from holding the office of President of the United States at this time.”
Trump’s campaign spokesperson, Steven Cheung, said in a statement, “With the Michigan Court of Appeals’ affirmation of the Trump campaign’s victories in the lower court, the Soros-funded Democrats have once again failed in their desperate attempt to interfere in the election via a bad-faith interpretation of the 14th Amendment. President Trump remains undefeated against these frivolous legal claims and has never been in a stronger position to win next year’s election.”
In the end, the Michigan Appeals Court has ruled in favor of Trump’s appearance on the 2024 presidential primary ballot, marking another victory for the former president and his campaign.
