By: Victor Zhang
Former president Donald Trump is facing several felony charges that could result in a maximum sentence of 70 plus years if convicted. This is the second time this year, and in the entire history of the US, that a president has been indicted of crimes.
Trump, who was in office from 2016 to 2020, was charged in January 2021 for not returning government documents at the end of his term. He has 37 charges leveled against him in Florida, 31 of the 37 charges are counts of willful retention of national defense information.
These charges, if considered the maximum possible sentence, could get Trump 75 years in prison. Considering that he is already 77 years old, there is the potential that these charges could land him in prison for the rest of his life.
However, even if he’s going to jail, he’s made a promise to his supporters that he will run for president in 2024. His base’s support has never wavered, including those who stormed the Capital in an attempt to change the election results. Over 1,033 people were arrested in connection to the storming of the Capitol. Trump was blamed, as those arrested are basically all supporters of him.
Trump’s mansion in Palm Beach, Florida was raided by authorities on August 8th and some 300 of around the 325 confidential papers were confiscated.
Even if Trump is indicted, he can still serve as president. There are a few other Constitutional restrictions that can block a person for running for president yet they don’t apply to Trump. According to CNN Politics, “Term limits: The 22nd Amendment forbids anyone who has twice been president …That doesn’t apply to former President Donald Trump since he lost the 2020 election. Impeachment: If a person is impeached by the House and convicted by the Senate of high crimes and misdemeanors, he or she is removed from office and disqualified from serving again. Trump, although twice impeached by the House during his presidency, was also twice acquitted by the Senate.
These reasons are why even if former president Trump serves time, he can still become president and run our country.