Budapest Post

Cum Deo pro Patria et Libertate
Budapest, Europe and world news

Could Trump use this indictment to boost his campaign?

Could Trump use this indictment to boost his campaign?

A campaign poster featuring a police mugshot? It’s not outside the realms of possibility for ‘Teflon Don’ says Sarah Baxter. Could this indictment really help the former President’s chances in 2024?

Donald Trump could soon have a startling new campaign poster: his police mugshot. I wouldn’t put it past him. He has already been boasting to confidants that he wants a “perp walk” – the public parade of a defendant in handcuffs, usually a badge of shame. Alternatively, he may decide on a dramatic showdown with the forces of law and order by refusing to leave his compound at Mar-a-Lago in Florida, protected by a rebel horde of MAGA-loving extremists.

In practice Trump may slip into the back entrance of a New York police station for his compulsory fingerprinting and headshot. Yet however privately alarmed he feels about being the first former American president in history to face criminal charges, he is bound to make the most of his latest brush with infamy. The case is sensational. His nemesis, porn star Stormy Daniels, has claimed with all the subtlety of a Carry On film, “I’m giving him a ride straight to jail,” but for Trump, it is yet more evidence that there is a mighty establishment witch-hunt against him.


The backstory to Trump’s indictment is as old as the hills. At issue is $130,000 in hush money paid to the raunchy Daniels to keep quiet about an alleged fling in 2006, shortly after Melania had given birth to Barron Trump, now 17 and a strapping 6’7”. Years later, Trump’s inner circle feared that Daniels was about to go public on the eve of the 2016 presidential election, when Trump was already reeling from the leaked Access Hollywood tape, in which he boasted about grabbing women by the “pussy”. His gross behaviour was forgiven by US voters then, and Trump sees no reason why it should dim his chances of re-election again.


“The Democrats have lied, cheated and stolen in their obsession with trying to ‘Get Trump,’ but now they’ve done the unthinkable – indicting a completely innocent person in an act of blatant Election Interference,” the former president raged last night on Truth Social, his own-brand Twitter. He predicted a “massive backlash” against President Joe Biden. But the canny Trump, 77, will also try to use his indictment to quash a younger rival: Ron DeSantis, 44, the bullish Florida governor, who has been running an undeclared campaign for the 2024 presidential nomination.

Imagine how the hard-core base of the Republican party would feel if DeSantis allowed Trump to be dragged from his beachfront sanctuary. The Florida governor would be instantly transformed from macho culture warrior to political weakling. As a result, DeSantis conspicuously bent the knee last night by declaring his state would not cooperate in any extradition request for his former mentor. When he did attempt a bit of snark against Trump a few weeks ago, saying, “I don’t know what goes into paying hush money to a porn star to secure silence over some type of affair,” his poll numbers plummeted.

DeSantis and Trump together at The White House


Earlier this week, a Fox News opinion poll on the 2024 Republican nomination showed Trump thumping DeSantis by 54-24 points, with other presidential hopefuls barely registering a blip. A leading Republican consultant from the swing state of Arizona said on hearing news of the indictment, “Everyone is lining up behind Trump. Let the coronation begin.” Unlikely as it seems, DeSantis may even be spooked into not running at all.

Yesterday’s bombshell landed after a seemingly brilliant guerrilla campaign by Trump to wrongfoot Alvin Bragg, the Manhattan district attorney (DA) who brought the case. A fortnight ago Trump announced to a huge fanfare that he was due to be indicted on March 21 and effectively goaded Bragg to come and get him. But the DA had some smart moves of his own. He let the case dangle to the point that the former president declared premature victory and began crowing that Bragg had failed to persuade the grand jury to indict him. Then came last night’s mic drop. Boom!

District Attorney Alvin Bragg


The charges against Trump could be the first in a series of major legal blows. The former president may soon be indicted in Georgia for seeking to overturn the results of the 2024 election there; and a special counsel is investigating his attempt to prevent Biden from taking office – incorporating not just the January 6 Capitol riot but a series of unconstitutional power-plays – and, separately, his retention of classified documents at Mar-a-Lago. Plenty of Democrats are cock-a-hoop that Trump is at last getting his comeuppance, but others fear the Stormy Daniels case is not only the first but also the weakest criminal case against the Teflon Don. It may never reach gale force.

We know for a fact that Trump’s personal lawyer, Michael Cohen, paid off Daniels, because Cohen owned up to it and was sentenced to three years in prison for tax evasion and campaign finance violations. He went on to turn against his ex-boss and was the star witness to appear before the Manhattan grand jury. In recent days, David Pecker, the former publisher of the National Enquirer, also gave evidence about paying $150,000 to Karen McDougal, a former Playboy model, to “catch and kill” a story about her own alleged affair with Trump.

Former Playboy model Karen McDougal (pictured in 2004) has revealed her alleged affair with Donald Trump

Yet the Department of Justice declined to bring a similar federal case against Trump and the Manhattan DA may find it difficult to prove the motive behind Daniels’ hush money. Trump could argue that he was seeking to protect his wife Melania from Daniels’ allegations, rather than concealing them fraudulently from the voting public. Many legal experts believe that false record-keeping amounts to no more than a misdemeanour, rather than a felony. If the case peters out, Trump will be triumphant.

Of course, winning the Republican nomination is very different to winning a presidential election. Cumulatively, the legal challenges to Trump may be deeply off-putting to moderate Republican and independent swing voters. The prospect of voting a potential criminal into the White House – the most powerful office in the world – ought to make sane heads pause. Trump’s fury has also brought out some ugly tropes, including calls for violence against Bragg and anti-semitic dog-whistles against the financier George Soros, for supposedly backing the Manhattan DA’s campaign for office.

US President Joe Biden


Trump has already trolled his opponents by playing the US national anthem, sung by a choir of January 6 prisoners, at a rally in Waco, Texas, last weekend, accompanied by his own recital of the pledge of allegiance. (Waco was the scene of the last stand by religious cult leader, David Koresh, before he and his followers were gunned down in 1993.) Lawyers say there is nothing to stop Trump running for president while facing charges. “There is not even a disqualification that says if you’re in jail, you can’t run,” said Saikrishna Prakash, a law professor at the University of Virginia.

Still, the sound and fury that accompanies every move by Trump could turn out to be an advantage for Biden. The 80-year-old president managed to win the last election from his basement, while sheltering from the impact of Covid-19. In 2024, he will need a new excuse to stay out of the limelight. With Trump on the rampage, hogging all the attention, the doddery Biden could sneak under the radar to victory again.

AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Olaf Scholz vs. Elon Musk: A Dispute Over Common Sense, Which Scholz is Deemed to Lack
EU’s Overregulation Drives Innovation Collapse and Brain Drain
Hungarian PM Viktor Orbán: Now it's our moment to shine! It's our opportunity to take over Brussels!
Trump Initiates U.S. Withdrawal from WHO, Citing Concerns Over Organizational Integrity
Trump Just Revoked Security Clearance for the 51 Intel Agents Who Lied About Hunter Biden's Laptop
Five Billionaires on Track to Break One Trillion Dollar Wealth Barrier
Bill Ackman Praises Social Media Platform X as 'The New Media'
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni Proposes Rome as European Union Capital
France Urges EU to Act on Musk's Political Influence as Tensions Rise
Controversial Release Culminates in Severe Budapest Collision: The Freeing of a Convicted Human Trafficker
Rising Concerns: The Impact of Synthetic Chemicals on Global Child Health
Massive Cyberattack Disrupts Slovakia's Land Registry System
Elon Musk Praises German Far-Right Figure Alice Weidel in Controversial Live Discussion
Italian Mayor Strives to Halt Sale of Historic Neapolitan Islet
Unprecedented Sanctions Levied on Hungarian Handball Team After On-Field Protest
Raging Wildfires Devastate Los Angeles Region
Tragedy Strikes Montenegro as Shooting Toll Rises to Thirteen
Police Investigation Intensifies Around Hungarian Musician Delhusa Gjon
Hollywood at a Standstill: Wildfires Bring Film Industry to a Halt
Pentagon Issues Stark Warning Amid Escalating U.S.-Russia Tensions
Elon Musk's Global Political Maneuvering Causes Ripples Across Europe
Elon Musk Engages European Leaders in a War of Words
Toxic Strychnine Envelopes Sent to Belgian Prime Minister Unveiled
Elon Musk Sparks Debate with Praise for Germany's Far-Right AfD Leader on Social Media
California Wildfires Set to Become Costliest in U.S. History
Financial Woes Force SCM Gloria Buzău to Withdraw from Romanian Handball Championship
A Nation Mourns: The State Funeral of Former President Jimmy Carter
A Farewell to Jimmy Carter: A Nation Bids Goodbye to a Former President
Unprecedented Sanctions on Mosonmagyaróvári Players for On-field Protest
Hollywood Stars Flee as Wildfires Rage in Los Angeles
Raging Wildfires in Los Angeles: A Heartwarming Tale Amidst Tragedy
Ravaging Flames: The Human Stories Behind the California Wildfires
Wildfires Threaten LeBron James' $23 Million Mansion in Los Angeles
Teenager Fatally Stabbed at Bedford Bus Station
Tragedy Strikes in Bedford: Teenager Fatally Stabbed at Bus Station
Devastating Wildfires Scorch Los Angeles: Paris Hilton's Home Reduced to Ashes
Tragic Incident in Hungary: Sixty-Year-Old Man Confesses to Killing Wife
Tragic Incident in Fót: Man Arrested for the Murder of His Wife
Released Human Trafficker Crashes into Family Car in Buda
Delhusa Gjon: Police Investigation Intensifies Amid Alleged Misconduct
Water Shortages Hamper Efforts as Los Angeles Wildfire Claims More Lives
Santa Ana Winds Fuel Ferocious Wildfires in Los Angeles
Desert Winds Ignite Vast Wildfires Across Los Angeles
Devastating Wildfires Ravage Los Angeles: Smoke Chokes and Homes Turn to Ash
Mass Layoffs Announced at Budapest's Marketing Firm amid Budget Cuts
Honoring a Legacy: Jimmy Carter's State Funeral Unites Past and Present Leaders
Former Presidents Reunite at Jimmy Carter's State Funeral
Pentagon Issues Dire Warning on Russia Amid Heightened Global Tensions
Legal and Political Challenges Surrounding Donald Trump Intensify
Hungarian Minister Sanctioned: A Surprise Move by the United States
×