There is an increasing amount of buzz surrounding the possibility of former President Donald Trump facing criminal charges in the near future. The New York Times reports that the Manhattan district attorney’s office has “recently signaled” to Trump’s lawyers that he could face charges for paying hush money to a porn star who alleges she had an affair with him. And as Chuck Rosenberg, a former U.S. attorney and a legal analyst for NBC News, pointed out, Trump’s invitation to testify before a grand jury in New York this week suggests prosecutors are “seriously considering charges.”
This is the kind of news that thrills many Americans who are eager to see Trump face any kind of legal consequences for his many abuses of power and seemingly illicit behavior in office. But they shouldn’t get too excited. Neither an indictment nor a conviction would necessarily kick Trump out of the race. And there’s little reason to think that if he were to be charged and convicted, he would pay a substantial penalty among Republicans as he seeks his third presidential nomination.
It’s hard to see how controversy stemming from criminal charges would cause Trump’s support in the Republican base to plummet.
The Constitution’s requirements for eligibility to run for president don’t say anything about a candidate’s criminal record or legal status. There’s even historical precedent for a presidential candidate running and winning votes while in prison. It is worth noting, however, as my colleague Jordan Rubin has pointed out, that some unprecedented complications could arise depending on what Trump might get charged with — it seems that certain convictions related to the Jan. 6 insurrection could conflict with the 14th Amendment. But overall there’s nothing inherently disqualifying about Trump’s getting in trouble in the criminal justice system.
Shame certainly wouldn’t inhibit him. Trump said at the Conservative Political Action Conference this…
Read the full article here
