Donald Trump, no ban on running
The U.S. Constitution does not prohibit a felon or even a prisoner from running for or being elected to the presidency. This means that Donald Trump can totally run and be elected on November 5, 2024. There is also no ban on voting at the federal level, each state has its own policy. For example, in Florida, a felon cannot vote until he has served his entire sentence. Quite ironic, when it comes to the former president’s home state, who therefore might not be able to vote himself in the next election.
Trump supported by Republicans
Despite his recent conviction, Donald Trump maintains his lead over Joe Biden in the polls. Only 4% of Republicans have decided to leave it, while 16% are still hesitant about their vote. The rest, the majority (80%), say they continue to support it. Conversely, the current president continues to decline in the polls. Nicknamed “Genocide Joe”, following his comments since Israel’s daily responses to the Gaza Strip, many Arab and Muslim voters no longer support him.
Trump, when the verdict was announced, was quick to hurl invectives at his rival: “I am a political prisoner! Joe Biden must regret having attacked us! “, he said. At the same time, his campaign team opened a fundraising campaign on the WinRed platform. The massive influx of his supporters – 53 million in 24 hours, made the page non-functional several times. “That’s more than $2 million per hour,” his campaign team said in a statement.
The avoidable prison box for Donald Trump
Found guilty, the sentence will be pronounced on July 11, 2024 by Judge Juan Merchan, four days before the Republican Party convention which is to nominate him as the conservative candidate. In theory, Trump risks up to four years in prison and a significant fine, even if the judge could decide on a suspended prison sentence, or even community service.
However, if he is re-elected, the former president is guaranteed to avoid prison, at least temporarily. A victory would in fact block the execution of the sentence as long as he occupies the presidency. The possibility of a presidential pardon also arises if he becomes president again. Trump raised this hypothesis in 2018, when he was still in office.
Rare political reactions around the world
Internationally, reactions are discreet as in its neighbor, Canada. The office of the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mélanie Joly, commented: “The United States is not only our neighbor, but also our closest friend and ally. Our government has worked successfully with both Republican and Democratic administrations, and will continue to do so.” Nothing to add, according to the spokesperson. Same story from the leader of the British opposition Labor Party, Keir Starmer: “we respect the court’s decision in the Trump case. It remains to pronounce the sentence and appeal, but we respect the procedure judicial”. Adding all the same that the situation “is unprecedented. there is no doubt. »
In Russia, the Kremlin has been a little more vocal. Through his spokesperson, Dmitri Peskov, he denounced “the elimination of political adversaries by all possible legal and illegal means”. And Matteo Salvini, Italian Deputy Prime Minister, expressed his “full support” for the former American president.
To date, there have been no official comments on the subject in France.
But the most anticipated reaction is undoubtedly that of Stormy Daniels, a key actress in this affair. She has not done half-measures since she calls on American justice to place Donald Trump in prison: “I believe that he should be sentenced to prison and community service for the less fortunate” .
