Topline
The Minnesota Supreme Court rejected a petition that would have disqualified former President Donald Trump from appearing as a presidential candidate on the state’s primary ballot Wednesday, but left the door open for petitioners to file suit again using 14th Amendment arguments before the general election.
The Minnesota Supreme Court rejected a petition on Wednesday arguing that former President Donald … [+]
Key Facts
The petition argued that Trump — the 2024 Republican front-runner — is ineligible to hold office under the 14th Amendment, which states anyone who took an oath to support the Constitution and then “engaged in insurrection or rebellion against” it is disqualified.
The court rejected the petition because “there is no state statute that prohibits a major political party from placing on the presidential nomination primary ballot … a candidate who is ineligible to hold office.”
However, Chief Justice Natalie Hudson added that just because a candidate wins the primary doesn’t mean they are automatically on the general election ballot, and that the petition can be brought again for the general election.
Trump took to his social media platform, Truth Social, to praise the decision and call the lawsuit “ridiculous… without merit, unconstitutional,” adding: ”Congratulations to all who fought this HOAX!”
Chief Critic
Ron Fein, legal director of Free Speech For People and an attorney for the petitioners, said in a statement that they were “disappointed” in the court’s decision, but pointed out it “explicitly recognized that the question of Donald Trump’s disqualification for engaging in insurrection against the U.S. Constitution may be resolved at a later stage.” Fein added that the decision isn’t “binding on any court outside Minnesota,” meaning other cases to enforce the 14th Amendment can continue.
What To Watch For
Whether other lawsuits follow suit and are thrown out. There are ongoing cases making similar arguments about Trump’s ballot eligibility in Colorado and Michigan.
Key Background
Trump has been the clear front-runner for Republicans in recent months, holding 56.5% support in Republican primary polls as of Wednesday, according to FiveThirtyEight, but that hasn’t stopped advocacy groups from challenging his eligibility. Legal scholars have weighed in on the issue — and not ruled out that the Amendment could prevent the former president from appearing on the ballot. There isn’t legal precedent for using the clause of the Amendment that some say would disqualify Trump, though, as it’s only been used twice since the Civil War when it was used against former Confederates, CNN reported. According to Minnesota Public Radio, some legal scholars think the case in Minnesota, or future appeals of it, could lead to the case making its way to the U.S. Supreme Court.
Further Reading
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/mollybohannon/2023/11/08/minnesota-supreme-court-rejects-14th-amendment-argument-that-wouldve-kicked-trump-off-ballot/