With even CNN calling the indictment of former President Donald Trump for falsifying business records "weak" and "underwhelming," it seems likely that nothing will come of the charges other than yet another stain on his now quite sullied (by the left) reputation.
Even if he is somehow convicted on the charges, however, Trump said Tuesday on "Tucker Carlson Tonight" that he wouldn't drop out of the 2024 presidential race.
Trump told Carlson that the charges were an attempt to keep him out of the election, calling it "the old Soviet process."
"If this goes to trial and you get convicted in the middle of a presidential campaign, how would you respond?” Carlson asked.
Trump said, “It’s so off the statute of limitations, years off, it’s hard to believe. You know, usually when you have something like this, the Democrats say he’s terribly guilty. The Democrats have even said, I’m innocent.”
Carlson followed up by asking, “Is there anything they could throw at you legally that would convince you to drop out the race? If you get convicted in this case in New York, would you drop out?
Trump answered, “No, I’d never drop — it’s not my thing. I wouldn’t do it.”
The implications of having a president who was convicted of a crime and may even be in jail while president would be humiliating for the country, even if it is generally recognized that the charges were bogus and the conviction political.
It's hard to believe enough people would vote for Trump to get him elected in that scenario. He's got a tough road even if he isn't convicted because of his public unlikeability for much of the electorate, including a significant majority of independents.
It's unfortunate that Trump's ego wouldn't let him step aside and let someone with far lower unfavorable numbers like Florida Governor Ron DeSantis take a real shot at the nomination.
It is unjust that the Democrat powers-that-be are using shady means to try to get rid of him, which has made the Republican base jump to his support in indignation.
It's possible that Trump is wrong and Democrats counted on exactly that reaction, pushing Trump toward the nomination because they think he's the easiest candidate to beat in 2024.
It's a sneaky move, but it may be a smart one in the current climate where people don't seem to have any choice but to vote for the lesser of two evils--and a great many people think Trump is pretty evil.
Another theory is that they were seeking a distraction from revelations that President Joe Biden's family got a lot of money from China, Russia, and Ukraine that may have been payoffs for access to the vice president.
