When it comes to Donald Trump, the United States is frequently in uncharted territory.
Never before has a president been impeached twice. No president has ever been charged with a crime and then remained their party’s dominant candidate.
After Trump was charged with four counts for his role in the US Capitol riot and accused of disseminating false information about the outcome of the 2020 election that he knew to be false, the nation once again finds itself without a precedent.
The indictment published in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday stated, “The defendant repeated and widely disseminated them anyway—tto make his knowingly false claims appear legitimate and to create an intense national atmosphere of mistrust and anger.” Six other unnamed individuals were also indicted and are believed to be the attorneys who aided in his desperate strategy to retain power.
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This was the third indictment for the 77-year-old Trump, with one more pending from Georgia prosecutors, but it is by far the most severe, even when compared to allegations that he kept classified documents.
The charges—conspiracy to defraud the United States, conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding, obstruction of and attempt to obstruct an official proceeding, and conspiracy against rights—strike at the core of the democratic system—the peaceful transfer of power.
The United States is far from an ideal democracy, but the majority takes pride in the fact that there has never been an attempt to cling to power illegally.
Until January 6, 2021, when hundreds of Trump supporters invaded the federal legislature in response to his fiery “speech” exhorting them to “fight like hell,”
According to the accusations, he was so intent on retaining power that he promoted conspiracies that targeted a “fundamental function of the United States federal government: the nation’s process of collecting, counting, and certifying the results of the presidential election”. In addition, he exerted pressure on Vice President Mike Pence and “exploited” the attack by his supporters.
While some supporters will likely dismiss these charges as they have the others, the events of today do nothing to assist Trump with moderate Republicans or independents.
What does this signifier mean? Will Trump be sent to jail? How about the presidential election of 2024?
The brief answer is that we are uncertain. Each time Trump was previously indicted, his poll numbers increased. The current New York Times poll places him 37 points ahead of his closest adversary, Florida Governor Don DeSantis.
Trump wrote to supporters in an email, “Their only hope is to try and send me to JAIL for the rest of my life,” in an effort to raise money in response to these most recent charges.
Will the United States hold a presidential election while one candidate is on trial? In fact, it may And recall, the Constitution does not prohibit someone from serving as president from a jail cell.
Many believe that Trump’s primary motivation for standing for the presidency a second time was to provide legal protection against such charges.
If he prevails, he can grant himself a pardon. If he loses the primary to a Republican, that person will be able to do so if they are elected president.
His attorneys are attempting to delay matters for as long as possible so that the spectacle can play out.
However, Trump may not get his way.
“In this case, my office will seek a speedy trial so that our evidence can be tested in court and judged by a jury of citizens,” said special prosecutor Jack Smith in a brief statement.
Donald Trump must maintain his wits. On Thursday afternoon in Washington, DC, he is due in court.
