Opponents of former US President Trump have once again failed in their attempt to prevent his participation in the primary election in the state of Michigan. An appeals court rejected the initiative.
Activists in Michigan also failed in a third instance in an attempt to exclude former US President Donald Trump from the Republican primary in the state next year.
The Michigan Court of Appeals made it clear that it would not prevent Trump from attending. The judges thus confirmed a decision by two lower courts, which had also rejected an initiative by activists. Trump should not be allowed to run for election because of his role in his supporters’ storming of the US Capitol on January 6, 2021, according to the demand.
Trump opponents cite the constitution
The former president’s opponents cited a section of the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, adopted after the American Civil War, which stipulates that a person may not run for federal office if they participate in an insurrection or rebellion against the United States USA involved or supported or encouraged those who did so.
The Michigan Court of Appeals did not comment on the question of whether the amendment applies to the Trump case. But it said it was up to the political parties and respective candidates to determine who should be on the ballot in the primary. The Supreme Court of the State of Minnesota recently ruled in a similar way on a request to exclude Trump from the 2024 primary election: The ex-president’s name could appear on the ballot because it was an election organized by a party, it was said.
Experts expect that the issue will ultimately have to be addressed by the US Supreme Court, which has never previously ruled on the clause in question in the 14th Amendment.