Former US President Donald Trump (Photo: AFP).
Michigan state court judge James Redford ruled on November 14 that former President Donald Trump is eligible to continue participating in the primary ballot for the 2024 election season in the Republican state of Michigan.
The ruling comes after the liberal advocacy group Free Speech for People filed a lawsuit against Trump, arguing that the fact that Trump is a defendant in a lawsuit over the January 6, 2021 riot at the Capitol disqualifies him from running for president.
The group cited Section 3 of the 14th Amendment to the US Constitution, which states that an individual cannot run for elected office if they have "engaged in an insurrection against the constitution after having taken an oath to support it."
In his ruling, Judge Redford argued: "The determination of whether the events of January 6 constituted an insurrection and who participated in it should be deferred to Congress." At the same time, Mr. Redford emphasized that the Michigan election agency did not have the power to disqualify Trump from the election.
Donald Trump campaign spokesman Steven Cheung said his team welcomed the decision, and predicted the possibility of rejecting other 14th Amendment cases in the future.
At present, despite legal troubles, Mr. Trump is still a promising presidential candidate of the Republican Party.
Last week, Mr. Trump’s team won a lawsuit in Minnesota, and a similar lawsuit in Colorado is expected to be decided on November 17.
Last month, the US Supreme Court rejected a legal effort by Texas Republican John Anthony Castro to block Mr Trump from running for re-election, also using the 14th Amendment argument.
In addition, Mr. Trump is also on trial on charges of conspiring to overturn the results of the 2020 election. This charge makes him the first former US president to face federal indictment.
In several other states, he has been charged with federal crimes related to his handling of classified government documents, while the city and state of New York have sued Trump over his private corporation troubles and allegations of financial fraud.
Mr Trump has repeatedly denied the allegations, saying they are part of a politically motivated “witch hunt” aimed at derailing his 2024 re-election bid.
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