Michigan judge smacks down effort to kick Trump off ballot

A judge in Michigan has shut down a lawsuit seeking to disqualify former President Donald Trump from the state's ballot under the 14th Amendment, CNN reported on Tuesday.

The ruling finds that Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson does not have the authority to enforce the eligibility of candidates under the Insurrection Clause of the amendment.

The lawsuit is one of several that have been filed around the country, arguing that the 14th Amendment's prohibition on anyone who has waged "insurrection" against the United States from holding office disqualifies the former president, who has never been convicted of an insurrection-related offense but is accused of encouraging the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol.

Among the top legal scholars pushing this argument are former Harvard Law professor Laurence Tribe, and retired conservative federal judge Michael Luttig.

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However, the cases face challenges, including that the clause's mechanism of enforcement is unclear.

A similar case is currently unfolding in Colorado. Another was dismissed by the Supreme Court of Minnesota this month with respect to the primary ballot, although that ruling doesn't preclude the case from being refiled with respect to the general election ballot.