Michigan Supreme Court rejects bid to remove Trump from 2024 primary ballot

Former president will remain on the state’s presidential primary ballot in 2024

Donald Trump will remain on the 2024 presidential primary ballot in Michigan after the state’s Supreme Court rejected to rule on the challenge to Mr Trump’s eligibility.

The high court said it was “not persuaded that the questions presented should be reviewed by this Court” and upheld a lower court ruling allowing the former president to remain on the ballot.

It is the latest in a string of attempts to prevent the former president from appearing on primary ballots in several states by invoking Section Three of the 14th Amendment otherwise known as the “insurrection clause.”

Several individuals and left-leaning organisations have claimed Mr Trump’s actions leading up to the January 6 attack on the Capitol were efforts to aid an insurrection – violating the clause of the 14th Amendment that bars those from seeking an official position.

Four registered voters in Michigan initially brought the lawsuit forward in September. But in November, a Michigan district judge ruled that Mr Trump was allowed to remain on the state’s ballot, arguing that neither the Michigan Secretary of State nor the courts had the authority to determine when a person is eligible to run for office or remove candidates.

The Michigan Court of Appeals upheld the lower court’s ruling earlier this month.

The decision now makes the Michigan Supreme Court the second state supreme court to reject ruling in the case. In November, the Minnesota Supreme Court dismissed the lawsuit in its state, arguing no statute prohibited a political party from placing an ineligible candidate on its primary ballot.

Mr Trump is facing challenges to his eligibility in at least 10 other states and has already been removed from the presidential primary ballot in one state – Colorado.

The former president is expected to appeal the results in Colorado to the US Supreme Court.

The Independent has reached out to Mr Trump’s campaign for comment.