MN Supreme Court Will Hear Arguments On Banning Trump From 2024 Ballot

ST. PAUL, MN — The Minnesota Supreme Court on Thursday will hear oral arguments over whether former President Donald Trump can be on the state's 2024 presidential ballot.

The arguments will be live-streamed here starting at 10 a.m.

A petition filed by Free Speech for People and others states that the U.S. Constitution bars Trump from the ballot because of his actions supporting the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol.

The provision the petitions cite is in Section Three of Article 14 of the Constitution. The language, which was adopted after the Civil War, states the following:

No person shall be a Senator or Representative in Congress, or elector of President and Vice-President, or hold any office, civil or military, under the United States, or under any State, who, having previously taken an oath, as a member of Congress, or as an officer of the United States, or as a member of any State legislature, or as an executive or judicial officer of any State, to support the Constitution of the United States, shall have engaged in insurrection or rebellion against the same, or given aid or comfort to the enemies thereof.

The Trump-backed insurrection "held the Capitol for hours until reinforcements could arrive; and blocked the peaceful transition of power in the United States of America," which was a "feat "never achieved by the Confederate rebellion," the argument states.

"Donald J. Trump, through his words and actions, after swearing an oath as an officer of the United States to support the Constitution, engaged in insurrection or rebellion, or gave aid and comfort to its enemies, as defined by Section 3 of the Fourteenth Amendment. He is disqualified from holding the presidency or any other office under the United States unless and until Congress provides him relief."

The Republican Party of Minnesota will argue against the petition before the state's high court.

"Voters in Minnesota should ultimately decide through voting which candidates are qualified to represent them in public office," Minnesota Republican Chair David Hann told MPR News.

"The Minnesota Supreme Court should reject this fringe legal theory which is purposefully designed to prevent voters from having a voice in our elections."

In filings, Trump's legal team has noted that the former Republican president has never been charged in any court with insurrection.

Trump faces a similar challenge to his ballot status in Colorado.

Reporting from the Associated Press was used in this story.