Former President Donald Trump has been indicted multiple times and faces federal charges related to several court cases. The upcoming legal battles and potential prison time come as Trump is running for the GOP nomination in the 2024 presidential election.
What Happened: In a recent interview, Trump said he’s not afraid of going to prison and doesn't worry about spending time behind bars.
“I don’t even think about it,” Trump said on “Meet the Press.”
Trump said he might be built differently than others as he doesn’t spend time thinking about potential time behind bars.
Instead, Trump used his old campaign slogan to share what he’s worried about.
“All I think about is making the country great, making America great.”
Trump’s comments in the interview may not be entirely true as sources say he was worried about the potential of going to prison.
Close friends and attorneys said Trump was worried about if he would still have Secret Service protection, what he would have to wear and what type of prison he could go to, according to Rolling Stone.
For a man who likes to wear suits, the thought of wearing a prison jumpsuit has been weighing on the former president’s mind according to sources.
Another topic of discussion for Trump with lawyers and others was what type of facility he would go to. Would it be one where rich people are housed behind bars with better living conditions or a facility like Sam Bankman-Fried got sent to, with poor living quarters?
Related Link: Trump Gains Support Ahead Of Second Republican Primary Debate
Why It’s Important: Another question raised by the report is what prison time would look like for Trump if he is convicted and also re-elected as president of the U.S.
In a past interview with radio host John Fredericks, Trump said he would not drop out of the 2024 election despite the indictments and federal charges.
“Not at all, there’s nothing in the constitution to say that it could,” Trump said.
Trump added that even "the radical left" knew sentencing wouldn’t stop him from running for office in 2024.
The U.S. Constitution lists three requirements to run for president in the country, and they have been the same requirements since George Washington was the country’s first president.
To run for president, a person has to be a natural-born citizen, a resident of the U.S. for 14 years, and 35 years of age or older.
For those wondering if anyone has ever run for president from jail, the answer is yes.
One of the most famous cases was in 1920 when socialist Eugene V. Debs ran for president and received over one million votes. As the Socialist Party nominee, Debs received around 3% of the popular vote, according to Politico.
Debs was serving a 10-year federal sentence related to the Espionage and Sedition Acts.
A constitutional amendment would be needed to prevent Trump from running for office or being elected as president.
Some members of Congress have floated ideas of using the 14th Amendment, which prevented former Confederates from holding state or federal office. Insurrectionists were banned from holding future office, something that could tie into potential charges related to Trump for the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol.
There is also the 25th Amendment, which gives the rights to the vice president and Congress to declare the president “unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office” under Section 4. The amendment turns the power over to the vice president in that case.
While both amendments have been discussed related to Trump in the past, it is likely that a new provision would need to be passed to prevent him from running or holding office in the future.
In addition to the right to campaign for office from jail, Trump was included in provisions related to potential incarceration in his SPAC deal. This deal is between Trump Media & Technology Group and Digital World Acquisition Corp DWAC. The SPAC merger filing said that a “material disruptive event” would not change the company’s ownership.
A material disruptive event is listed to include “the company principal announces that he is running for a public office” or “the company principal is personally convicted of a felony criminal offense.”
The wording is significant, as it says that Trump will still lead the company if he runs for president in 2024 or is convicted of a felony.
DWAC Price Action: Digital World Acquisition shares closed at $15.88 on Wednesday versus a 52-week trading range of $12.34 to $29.80. Shares of the SPAC are down 30% over the last year and trading near even year-to-date.
Read Next: Trump's Jam-Packed Court Calendar: Will Legal Battles Derail 2024 White House Campaign
Photo: The image was AI generated.
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