Rosalind Evans
The central question surrounding the 2024 presidential race is whether the electorate or the judicial system will render the initial judgment on Donald Trump.
A White House campaign that promises to be one of the most controversial in history has been put on hold as the world of politics eagerly anticipates potential additional criminal charges against the leading Republican candidate, expected from special counsel Jack Smith.
Trump continues to break political norms. Just a few months ago, the idea that a former president and potential future commander-in-chief could face indictment was shocking and without precedent. Now, it has become a frequent phenomenon.
Previously, Trump faced charges in Manhattan, resulting from a concealed payment to an adult film actress and separate federal costs related to the alleged mishandling of classified documents he kept in Florida. This week, Trump revealed that he is a target in Smith’s investigation into efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election and events preceding the US Capitol assault. Such a notification often prefaces an indictment. He also anticipates a potential charge in a Georgia probe related to attempts to reverse President Joe Biden’s victory there. Trump maintains his innocence, pleading not guilty to both indictments and denying all other accusations against him.
As Trump, his 2024 Republican challengers, and a large part of America await developments from a grand jury in Washington, DC, meeting, the anticipation grows. Two sources have confirmed to CNN that former special assistant to Trump, Will Russell, will be testifying for at least the third time. Any future indictment could likely emerge from this grand jury, which adds substantial historical importance to its proceedings. Trump revealed that the target letter he received on Sunday gave him four days to choose whether to testify. According to legal practice, an indictment could occur any time following that period.
Chris Christie, former New Jersey Governor and one of the few Trump critics told CNN’s Wolf Blitzer that he is waiting to see any charges from Smith before forming an opinion. However, given his background as a former prosecutor, Christie indicated that receiving a target letter from Smith is a severe sign.
CNN reported that Trump’s legal team was hurriedly trying to discover if Smith had evidence regarding Trump’s conduct that they were unaware of. This suggests that any case Smith might present against Trump could be more extensive than his team anticipated.
Several news outlets, including The Wall Street Journal, reported that the target letter lists three possible charges relating to deprivation of rights, conspiracy against or to defraud the United States, and witness tampering. The Justice Department has been examining potential legal violations connected to the plot and obstruction of the congressional proceedings on January 6, 2021, which falls under the witness tampering law, as previously reported by CNN.
While Trump’s legal challenges are mounting, he suffered additional setbacks in other cases on Wednesday. A federal judge dismissed his request for a new civil trial in the E. Jean Carroll case, ruling that the jury did not reach a “seriously erroneous result.” The jury awarded Carroll $5 million in damages. In another development, a federal judge denied Trump’s attempt to move the New York indictment into federal court, charging him with falsifying business records about the payment to Stormy Daniels.
The reach of Smith’s investigation appears vast, probing into the aftermath of the 2020 election and uncovering a considerable amount of evidence about Trump’s conduct. The special counsel has questioned officials in multiple swing states where Trump and his team allegedly attempted to alter election outcomes.
As Trump awaits his fate in this investigation, he is already entangled in Smith’s other probe concerning the retention of national defence information. The presiding judge over the case in Florida suggested that Smith’s request for a trial in December was premature. Yet she did not reveal her stance on the Trump team’s argument that the problem should be postponed until after the 2024 election due to his candidacy.
The multiple indictments and potential new charges against Trump raise the question of how he can focus on the demands of a presidential campaign while preparing for various trials. However, for now, Trump has used his legal troubles to his advantage in campaign fundraising.
Political tension is escalating as speculation around potential indictments mounts. A presidential election intertwined with legal repercussions from Trump’s presidency promises to create national unrest. However, most Republican voters appear to be swayed by Trump’s narrative of being a victim of political persecution to prevent him from returning to the White House.
In what is far from normal political circumstances, Trump’s legal woes do not derail his GOP nomination bid. As former Rep. Fred Upton of Michigan pointed out, “He’s using this to raise more money. He’s stronger than ever before.” The legal whirlwind appears not to have dampened Trump’s political clout.
As the potential third indictment against Trump looms, the political landscape is volatile and unpredictable. Amid these developments, one thing is clear: the outcome of these legal battles will have significant implications for the future of American politics. Will the electorate or the judicial system cast the first verdict on Donald Trump’s future? As the world watches the proceedings unfold in the Washington grand jury, the fate of the controversial former president and his potential 2024 campaign hangs in the balance.
