Illinois judge’s ruling to remove Trump from primary ballot on hold while he appeals

An Illinois judge put her ruling that ordered the removal of former President Donald Trump from the Illinois March 19 Republican presidential primary ballot on hold until Friday because of his legal team’s appeal. 

Cook County Judge Tracie Porter issued the hold hours after finding Trump should be disqualified from candidacy under the Constitutional ban on “insurrectionists.” She immediately stayed the ruling in anticipation of Trump’s appeal. 

“Given Candidate’s February 28th, 2024 Notice of Appeal, this Order is stayed… until the appeal is fully and finally resolved by the Illinois Appellate Court, First District, the Illinois Supreme Court and/or the U.S. Supreme Court,” the order states. 

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Porter’s ruling reversed a January decision by the Illinois Board of Elections to keep Trump’s name on the primary ballot after a group of Illinois voters accused the former president of engaging in insurrection. By removing his name from the ballot, any votes cast for Trump would be suppressed. 

Porter issued her decision in response to a group of voters who wanted Trump removed over the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol.

“Every court or official that has addressed the merits of Trump’s constitutional eligibility has found that he engaged in insurrection after taking the oath of office and is therefore disqualified from the presidency,” said Ron Fein, Legal Director of Free Speech For People, co-lead counsel in the case.

The Illinois case is one of several similar lawsuits seeking to remove Trump from primary ballots in multiple states. Those involved argue that Trump is ineligible due to a rarely used clause in the 14th Amendment prohibiting those who “engaged in insurrection” from holding office. 

In a statement, Trump campaign spokesman Steven Cheung said “an activist Democrat judge in Illinois summarily overruled the state’s board of elections and contradicted earlier decisions from dozens of other state and federal jurisdictions. This is an unconstitutional ruling that we will quickly appeal.”

Trump hasn’t been charged with inciting an insurrection but faces election interference charges in Washington D.C. and Georgia. 

Fox News Digital’s Anders Hagstrom as well as The Associated Press contributed to this report.