Former President Trump speaks at the Monument Leaders Rally hosted by the South Dakota Republican Party on Sept. 8 in Rapid City, South Dakota. Photo: Scott Olson/Getty Images
A liberal group in Minnesota filed a lawsuit Tuesday seeking to bar former President Trump from the 2024 ballot, citing the the 14th Amendment's stipulation on engaging in an insurrection.
Why it matters: It's the second such lawsuit filed in less than a month as liberal groups and state election officials are seeking to use the 14th Amendment as a legal basis to block Trump's bid.
Driving the news: "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 ... as defined by Section 3 of the Fourteenth Amendment," said the lawsuit, filed in Minnesota state court by Free Speech For People.
- "He is disqualified from holding the presidency or any other office under the United States unless and until Congress provides him relief."
- The third section of the 14th Amendment says that no one should hold office in the U.S. if they "have engaged in insurrection or rebellion against the [U.S.], or given aid or comfort to the enemies thereof."
The big picture: The watchdog group Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics (CREW) filed a similar suit earlier this month to block Trump from the 2024 GOP primary ballot in Colorado.
- Trump, whose campaign did not immediately respond to Axios' request for comment on the new lawsuit, said that the CREW lawsuit was a response to his lead in the Republican primary, per a spokesperson.
- Trump has previously seized on legal challenges to ramp up his base, and if any of the challenges are successful, they could lead to further backlash from his supporters.
What to watch: Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon has previously said it's up to the courts, not his office, to decide whether the former president is eligible for the state's ballot.
Go deeper: Trump reps call push to disqualify him under 14th Amendment "absurd"