May 5, 2024

Donald Trump could become president while he is a prisoner

Former US President Donald Trump was indicted again last night, this time in connection with the storming of the Capitol building on January 6, 2021.
photo alliance / zz / dennis van tine / starmax / ipx | zz/Dennis Van Tine/Star Max/IPx

During the election campaign, former US President Donald Trump is not only concerned with his political opponents, but also with the judiciary. Trump was impeached for the third time on Tuesday.

Trump could still become president of the United States even if he is convicted. This is because the US Constitution does not specifically prohibit prison inmates from holding office.

In fact, these charges may mean that Trump does not have enough time to campaign because he has to appear in court.

The former US president was Donald Trump On Tuesday Accused. He is charged with conspiracy to defraud the United States and conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding in connection with the insurrection at the Capitol in Washington on January 6, 2021. This refers to the counting of electoral votes at the Capitol. There is a risk of up to 20 years in prison.

Meanwhile, Donald Trump appears to want to run for US President again. The former president achieves good results in the opinion polls. He leads Republicans by more than 35 percentage points.

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Will Donald Trump become president of the United States if he is convicted of the crimes he is accused of committing? Can he become prime minister while he is a prisoner?

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Trump could become president even while in prison

“The Constitution establishes some requirements for the office of president, such as a minimum age of 35 years,” Richard L. Hasen, a Los Angeles law professor, said in an email to CNN.

Legally, Trump can become president of the United States as a prisoner. However, as a prisoner, he will not be able to vote himself; Prisoners in the United States of America are not allowed to do this.

However, it is not entirely clear what the prison chief's daily life will be like. “How someone could serve as president from prison is a question that fortunately has not yet been tested,” Hasen says.

Trump can pardon himself

Hasen told CNN that if Trump is convicted before the 2024 election and wins the election, he may try to pardon himself.

“Whether he can do that has not been tested. The Supreme Court may have to look into this,” Hasen said. Special Prosecutor Jack Smith, whose investigation was based on the charges, said Tuesday he wanted a “speedy trial.”

The indictment could still be an obstacle for Trump

However, the legal process may take so long for Trump that he will not have time to run a successful election campaign.

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The criminal proceedings appear to have already affected his election campaign. An important group of voters for all presidential candidates are undecided voters who feel they belong neither as Republicans nor as Democrats. In one Reuters/Ipsos poll As of July, 37% of independents said they were less likely to vote for him because of the criminal cases against Trump.

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