Trump files lawsuit over efforts to keep him off Michigan ballot

Former President Donald Trump's attorneys filed a lawsuit seeking to ensure he will be on the ballot for Michigan's 2024 Republican presidential primary and general elections. 

The lawsuit, filed Monday, asks the court to confirm that Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, a Democrat, does not have the power to determine whether Trump can be disqualified from the election under the 14th Amendment.

Trump's case comes after the liberal group Free Speech for People filed a lawsuit in September to keep the former president off Michigan's 2024 ballot, The Hill reported Wednesday.

The liberal group also filed a similar lawsuit in Minnesota, arguing that the so-called "insurrection" clause under the 14th Amendment bars Trump from the ballot due to his alleged involvement in the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot.

Benson has said she will not try to prevent Trump from being on the ballot in her state, but Trump's attorneys said she has not responded to a letter that the former president sent asking her to confirm him as an official candidate.

The uncertainty about the ballot impacts how the former president will "allocate campaign resources to best secure the nomination and defeat President Biden," his attorneys state.

Meanwhile, a poll last month showed that Trump leads President Joe Biden by seven points in Michigan, a vital swing state. 

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