The Daily Fuckup

On Nov. 14, 2023, the Michigan Court of Claims dismissed challenges to Donald Trump’s place on the state’s 2024 Republican presidential primary ballot. The ruling was narrow: it dealt with the primary ballot then before the court, not a final merits decision on whether Section 3 of the 14th Amendment could block Trump from future ballot access. Michigan officials said the court’s rulings required Trump to remain on the February 2024 presidential primary ballot under state law. ([michigan.gov](https://www.michigan.gov/sos/resources/news/2023/11/14/statement-of-secretary-benson-on-michigan-primary-ballot-rulings-issued-today))

The distinction matters. The court rejected the immediate effort to keep Trump off the primary ballot, but it did not hand down a sweeping answer to every future eligibility question tied to the 14th Amendment. In other words, the Nov. 14 order resolved the Michigan primary-ballot dispute that was ripe at the time; it did not erase the larger constitutional argument that had begun to surface in other places as the 2024 campaign moved forward. ([michigan.gov](https://www.michigan.gov/sos/resources/news/2023/11/14/statement-of-secretary-benson-on-michigan-primary-ballot-rulings-issued-today))

That left Trump with a concrete win in Michigan and his name on the primary ballot, while also leaving open the broader legal question opponents were trying to press. Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson said the ruling matched her reading of Michigan law, which requires the names of candidates generally advocated by the national news media to appear on the presidential primary ballot unless they withdraw. ([michigan.gov](https://www.michigan.gov/sos/resources/news/2023/11/14/statement-of-secretary-benson-on-michigan-primary-ballot-rulings-issued-today))

The practical effect was straightforward: the Michigan challenge did not stop Trump from competing in the state’s presidential primary. The legal effect was narrower still: the court did not decide, in that case, the full scope of any Section 3 disqualification claim for a later stage of the election cycle. ([michigan.gov](https://www.michigan.gov/sos/resources/news/2023/11/14/statement-of-secretary-benson-on-michigan-primary-ballot-rulings-issued-today))