There are many unanswered questions because it is rare for a former president to be charged with a crime in relation to a payment of hush money to a porn actress. Yet, Mr. Trump's plan is clearly clear and will likely follow the tough-talking strategies he has employed throughout a brief, tumultuous political career.
Mr. Trump, who denies all culpability in the matter, is counting on Republicans, including those who aren't sure whether to continue supporting him, to agree with his assertion that the system is out to get him and squelch the movement he founded. One of the emails Mr. Trump's campaign used to solicit donations stated, "They only want to jail me up because I'm the one thing standing between them and YOU." Alvin Bragg, the Democratic district attorney for Manhattan, has come under fire from him on numerous occasions for being politicized and for having ties to liberal billionaire contributor George Soros.
According to a Quinnipiac University poll issued this week, 75% of Republicans believe Mr. Trump shouldn't be disqualified from running for office if he is charged with a crime, in contrast to 57% of Americans who believe Mr. Trump should be barred from running again if he is. However, the poll conducted before to the indictment revealed that 93% of Republicans and 70% of independent voters believe that the New York case is mostly driven by politics, as opposed to 66% of Democrats who believe that the case is primarily driven by the law.
In a number of recent polls, the former president is now considered to be the front-runner.
The American people are fully aware of what the Radical Left Democrats are doing here, Mr. Trump said in a statement following the release of the indictment, calling it "political persecution and electoral interference at the greatest level in history. Everyone is aware of it. Thus, our Movement and Party will defeat Alvin Bragg first, followed by Joe Biden, and we will remove every single one of these corrupt Democrats from office in order to MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN! ”
A fundraising email was rapidly distributed by the Trump campaign. Please give—of truly any amount—to help our movement fight against the never-ending witch hunts and take back the White House in 2024, it pleaded. Before to Thursday, the campaign claimed it had raised approximately $2 million since Mr. Trump originally declared he would be jailed on March 18.
The indictment was met with vehement opposition from both sides. In a tweet, Texas Representative Ronny Jackson, a Republican, wrote: "This is a horrible day in American history. The only "crime" committed by President Trump was MAKING AMERICA GREAT AGAIN! These cowardly Liberals HATE Trump and much more Despise his supporters. These people will be made to pay if Trump wins! ”
The first attempt to remove then-President Trump from office ended with his acquittal in the Senate, but Democratic Rep. Adam Schiff of California said in a statement that everyone should be treated equally under the law regardless of their status. Holding a president accountable is contentious or provocative, therefore acting differently will not promote order but instead encourage disruption and disregard for the law.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, a Republican who is anticipated to run against Mr. Trump for the nomination, stated on Twitter that the rule of law is turned on its head when the judicial system is used as a weapon to further political goals. It's not American.
On the legal front, Mr. Trump is depending on a dispersed team of attorneys and advisers, and there is little indication of a cohesive approach beyond criticizing the investigators, attempting to postpone the case, and portraying himself as the victim of a plot.
House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R., Calif.), among other prominent Republicans, has reiterated his claims that the prosecution is politically motivated. A spokesperson for Mr. Bragg claimed that three House GOP committee chairs were attempting to "disrupt and undermine the legitimate work of our dedicated prosecutors" by demanding that Mr. Bragg submit records and testimony regarding his probe.
There are numerous reasons not to back Donald Trump. Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.), a centrist, stated last week that there are numerous reasons why he shouldn't be president. So you must exercise extreme caution. The legal system shouldn't be seen as having any influence over politics.
Mr. Manchin responded, "I think it might have the flip impact of what people would be thinking...it simply emboldens," when asked if the anticipated indictment would benefit Mr. Trump politically.
Mr. Trump still enjoys a devoted following and is in the lead in most primary surveys. When The Wall Street Journal revealed the hush-payment story in 2018, his devoted fans were unaffected, and they are not likely to change their stance now. That brings to mind the various crises Mr. Trump has faced, such as the one with the Access Hollywood recording that came to light a month before the 2016 presidential election and in which he uses obscene sexual language toward women.
Terry Madonna, a pollster from Pennsylvania, observed that "His people have remained strong through thick and thin." I don't believe that getting charged will necessarily result in him losing a significant portion of his support.
Mr. DeSantis, Mr. Trump's main opponent for the nomination, last week denounced the New York inquiry while also making fun of Mr. Trump for his suspected involvement in such a shady plot. Mr. Trump sees this as an opportunity to attack Mr. DeSantis. The governor is depicted by Mr. Trump as being unfaithful.
The latest scandal puts Mr. Trump right back in the spotlight, where he longs to be. Mr. Trump has hunger sought to capitalize on controversy.
GOP strategist Liam Donovan stated that "any development that stands to render the primary a referendum on the former president is poor news for anyone hoping to turn the page."
Yet in his loss to Joe Biden in 2020, Mr. Trump lost more independent and moderate GOP voters. During the midterm elections in November, where a number of well-known candidates endorsed by Mr. Trump lost, Republican discontent increased.
And while many Republicans and some Democrats question the validity of the New York case, Mr. Trump is also dealing with numerous other legal issues, such as federal investigations into his attempt to rig the 2020 election, the ensuing Capitol riot on January 6, 2021, and his storage of sensitive information at his Florida estate Mar-a-Lago.
Chris Christie, the former governor of New Jersey, slammed Mr. Bragg for pursuing the case but said that "the concept that an indictment will make for a better and stronger candidate is equally ludicrous." Mr. Christie is considering running in the GOP presidential primaries.
