The Minnesota Supreme Court rejects the attempt to keep Donald Trump off the state's primary ballot.

 The Minnesota Supreme Court rejects the attempt to keep Donald Trump off the state's primary ballot.

On the basis of the 14th Amendment, a group of voters has been attempting to bar Trump from appearing on ballots for the GOP primary and general election in 2024.

On Wednesday, the Minnesota Supreme Court rejected an effort to prevent former President Donald Trump's participation in the state's 2024 primary election. A group of voters filed a petition aiming to exclude Trump from the GOP primary and general election ballots, citing Section 3 of the 14th Amendment, which bars individuals engaged in insurrection or rebellion from holding office. The court ruled that no state statute prohibits a political party from endorsing or placing an ineligible candidate on the primary ballot. While leaving room for potential challenges if Trump secures the primary, the court didn't address his eligibility for the general election.
Free Speech For People, representing the Minnesota voters, expressed disappointment. Ron Fein, the organization's legal director, noted the ruling's non-binding nature outside Minnesota but highlighted the court's acknowledgment of potential resolution in subsequent stages. The group is concurrently challenging Trump's eligibility in a Michigan case.
Trump, dismissing attempts to remove his name from ballots, criticized such efforts as "nonsense" and "election meddling." In response to the Minnesota ruling, a Trump campaign spokesman, Steven Cheung, deemed it validation against strategic, unconstitutional interference.
Free Speech For People attorney John Bonifaz hinted that the Minnesota decision could be revisited during the general election stage. However, he didn't confirm if the organization would pursue this avenue. Meanwhile, similar cases are emerging, including one in Colorado.

As preparations for Republican presidential primaries advance in states like Arizona and New Hampshire, election officials grapple with questions about Trump's eligibility for the 2024 presidential candidacy.