As Trump fights efforts to pull him off the ballot, his lawyers want you to know that he's absolutely crushing the polls
Win McNamee/Getty Images
- Donald Trump filed a lawsuit Tuesday trying to fight off attempts to get him off the ballot in Michigan.
- His lawyers argued that pulling him off the ballot would violate the will of the people.
- Trump's attorneys also argued that he did not "engage" in the insurrection, so he would still be qualified to run.
Former President Donald Trump filed a lawsuit Tuesday against the Michigan Secretary of State in a bid to make sure his name stays on the ballot, citing his amazing polling numbers as one of the reasons why.
Trump is currently fending off attempts to pull his name off the ballot in other states including Colorado and Minnesota. Each of these lawsuits argues that Trump can't run for office because of his involvement in the January 6, 2021 insurrection on the Capitol, which would violate the 14th Amendment.
A liberal group filed a suit in Michigan state court arguing that Trump should be disqualified from the ballot.
However, in their suit, Trump's lawyers are arguing in Michigan that he's too popular to be pushed off the ballot, and if he isn't allowed to run in Michigan, it goes against the will of the people
"Despite President Trump's tremendous popularity, there are people who want to deny Michigan voters the opportunity to express their choice by voting for him," the suit reads. "To accomplish this, they want the Secretary of State to violate her duties and exercise powers she does not have to keep President Trump's name off of the ballot. And they want to use this Court as a vehicle to do it."
Section 3 of the 14th Amendment specifically says that anyone who has "engaged in insurrection or rebellion" or has "given aid or comfort" to those carrying out an insurrection cannot be in office.
Trump's attorneys also made a list of other arguments, including that Section 3 did not apply to him, the secretary of state had no authority to enforce or make decisions based on the amendment, and that he did not "engage" in the insurrection.
"Even if the events of January 6, 2021, could constitute an 'insurrection' (they do not), President Trump did not 'engage' in it," Trump's lawyers argued."'Engaging' requires some level of active participation. Inaction is not sufficient."
Representatives for Benson said they could not comment on pending litigation.
Representatives for Trump did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.