Hi twmissmt,
Thanks for using Apple Support Communities. You've tried some great troubleshooting so far. It might help to test another mouse or trackpad and see what happens there. That will help isolate whether this is related to the internal trackpad.
Next, check to see if you can replicate this in safe mode. Since safe mode prevents some software from loading it can be a good way to narrow things down. Guidance below is from How to use safe mode on your Mac - Apple Support and will help you access safe mode.
"Apple silicon
- Shut down your Mac.
- Turn on your Mac and continue to press and hold the power button until you see the startup options window.
- Select your startup disk, then press and hold the Shift key while clicking “Continue in Safe Mode.”
- Log in to your Mac. You might be asked to log in again."
After testing there, proceed with the following from the article, dependent upon your safe mode results.
"If the issue continues in safe mode
If the issue continues while in safe mode, or your Mac restarts several times and then shuts down while starting up in safe mode, you should reinstall macOS and make sure that your Apple software and third-party apps are up to date.
If the issue doesn't continue in safe mode
If the issue doesn't continue while in safe mode, leave safe mode by restarting your Mac normally. Then test for the issue again. The issue might be resolved.
If the issue returns after leaving safe mode, startup items are probably at fault. Apps can install such items in numerous places, and they aren't always easy to find or recognize. For that reason, you should first make sure that you've installed any available updates for your Apple software and third-party apps.
If updating your software doesn't help, try any of these solutions:
- Test your login items.
- To learn whether software in your user account is causing the issue, set up a new user account, then log in to it and try to reproduce the issue in that account.
- Unplug all accessories from your Mac, including printers, drives, USB hubs, and other nonessential devices. You could have an issue with one or more of those devices or their cables.
- Reinstall macOS."
Cheers!
